Last year, more than 23,000 Russian tourists travelled to Vietnam, a year-on-year increase of 94%, according to the National Administration of Tourism. This is one of the two markets with the most rapidly increased number of tourists. Many experts predict that 2006 will be the year of the Russian market.

Truong Dang Duy, executive director of the 4U Travel Company said the rapid economic growth over the past years has helped Russian citizens to raise their income and have demands to travel abroad. Vietnam is one of the destinations many young Russians choose when they travel to South East Asia.
The average age of Russian tourists to Vietnam is only approximately 40, most of whom are State employees and businessmen. What Vietnam has gained in the 20 years of renovation with political and socio-economic stability encourages young Russians to come to Vietnam to discover new things and seek investment opportunities.
Only in January and February 2006, the Saigontourist welcomed three delegations of 450 Russian tourists. Ben Thanh Tourists also welcomed 300 Russian businessmen who travelled to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to attend seminars and seek business opportunities.
The 4U company’s survey shows that 70% of Russian tourists said Vietnam has many beautiful beaches, internationally-recognised landscapes and low costs and they wanted to come to the country with many generations that had once got close relationship with Russia.
Nguyen Minh Quyen, deputy director of Ben Thanh Tourist said although Russian market is “young” but promises much potential because Russian tourists’ spending ability is as much as Japanese tourists. Statistics show that one Japanese tourist spends from 400 to US $500. Russian tourists often spend much money on buying fine arts products and high-quality garments and embroidered products. Russian tourists often go straight to resorts and rarely come to well-known landscapes.
Huu Loc, head of Saigontourist’s Russian market department revealed: “They usually stay at four to five-star hotels and use luxury services with over 10-day tours. Besides, they often require high quality of food and transport services. Therefore, tour costs for Russians are much higher than those of other markets.”
Russians like sea and convalescent tours so 80% of Russian tours to Vietnam have chosen convalescent resorts in Hoi An, Nha Trang, Phan Thiet and Phu Quoc Island.
Previously, Russians used to choose Phuket of Thailand, Bali of Indonesia or Maldives archipelago. However, after a series of natural disasters together with terror attacks, a majority of Russian tourists have come to Vietnam to enjoy themselves at high-grade resorts such as Cat Vang, Victoria Hoi An, Viet Pearl and Saigon Phu Quoc.

Making best use of advantages
So far, Vietnam Airlines, the national flag carrier, has opened non-stop air routes between Hanoi and Moscow with rational price and good service; therefore Russians find it easier to travel to Vietnam than in the past.
Japan is leading in terms of the number of citizens travelling to Vietnam, accounting for 60% of the total international tourists to the country. However, in terms of “impression”, the year 2005 and the first quarter of 2006 marked the appearance of the number of tourists who know how to “play and spend much money” - the Russian tourists.
Many travel companies estimate that 2006 will be the year of Russian tourists to Vietnam and they are making programmes in a hurry to welcome these “potential” tourists.