Russian tourist arrivals in Nha Trang and Phu Quoc set to surge late this year

Vietnam is experiencing a sharp rise in Russian visitors, recording over 863,500 arrivals in the first seven months of 2026, reaching 274% of the figure from the same period last year. Russia currently ranks as Vietnam’s third-largest source of foreign tourists and represents the fastest-growing international market this year.

Travel businesses specializing in the Russian market project that arrivals from Russia will set a new annual record in 2026. Arrival numbers through July have already surpassed the total for all of 2025 (689,714 arrivals) as well as pre-COVID-19 levels. Destinations including Da Nang, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, and Phan Thiet have capitalized on this trend to tap into the high-potential market.

Following charter flight programs launched from Russian cities to Da Nang in April 2026, additional transport plans will roll out starting in September with a series of charter routes to Nha Trang and Phu Quoc. Operations will expand further during the 2026-2027 winter season, with charter flights planned from more than 20 Russian cities.

A representative from Anex Vietnam Trading and Tourism Co., Ltd. stated that the company will scale up operations for the upcoming winter season by increasing air connectivity to Nha Trang and Phu Quoc. For the 2026-2027 winter period, Anex expects to handle roughly 198,000 passengers, averaging around 33,000 per month, a 30% increase compared to summer 2026.

In Vietnam’s south-central province of Khanh Hoa, Anex Vietnam will operate the Moscow-Cam Ranh route starting in late September 2026 with a frequency of three flights per week. The company plans to increase service to five flights per week starting in January 2027 to boost transport capacity to Nha Trang.

In Phu Quoc, charter programs from Russia and other Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries will launch in late September, earlier than the mid-October start seen last year. Scheduled to run through April 2027, Anex Vietnam's charter flights alone are expected to bring between 13,000 and 15,000 passengers per month to the island.

Russia considers visa waiver for Vietnamese group tourists

VOV.VN - Russia is considering easing visa policy, including a possible visa waiver for Vietnamese tour groups, as it looks to attract more visitors from Vietnam, a fast-growing travel market with rising outbound demand.