Nha Trang eyes tourists from Russia, Kazakhstan

By Hoang Phong October 12, 2022 | 04:31 pm PT

Russia tourists at a beach in Cam Ranh in Khanh Hoa Province, central Vietnam, November 2021. Photo courtesy of Cam Ranh Rivera Beach Resort

Nha Trang, a popular beach resort town in central Vietnam, plans to welcome tourists from Kazakhstan and Russia on tour packages from late this month to boost its year-end tourism.

Bui Quoc Dai, deputy director of tour operator Anex Vietnam, said his company will cooperate with Vietjet Air to organize charter flights to bring tourists from Kazakhstan, Russia and some countries in Eastern Europe to Nha Trang of Khanh Hoa Province from Oct. 25.

There would be two weekly charter flights departing from Almaty International Airport in Kazakhstan to Cam Ranh International Airport, around 40 kilometers from Nha Trang beach resort town.

"Many Russian tourists wishing to visit Vietnam on their winter holiday escape would transit in Kazakhstan and board these charter flights to Nha Trang as direct flights from Russia to Vietnam have not yet resumed," Dai said.

"However, due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine military conflict, the number of Russian visitors to Nha Trang would be quite low," he added.

Each flight will carry 180-200 tourists who would stay at three-to-five-star resorts in Nha Trang from one week to 28 days.

Amid the shortage of Russian tourists due to political tensions, the travel firm will focus on exploiting this new travel market, Dai said.

There are numerous similarities between the Russian and Kazakhstan markets as tourists from the latter take long-term vacations during the winter season, which starts in October.

Nguyen Thi Le Thanh, director of Khanh Hoa's Department of Tourism, said the opening of these charter flights to Nha Trang will help diversify the international tourism sector in the absence of Chinese and Russian visitors, its biggest sources before the pandemic.

In the first nine months of this year, Nha Trang welcomed 6,700 Russian tourists, accounting for 4.3% of total foreign arrivals.

Vietnam is one of the five most popular travel destinations for Russians for the New Year holiday, according to data from Russian travel site OneTwoTrip based on customer bookings with departures between Dec. 31 and Jan. 8, 2023.

After the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out in February, direct flights from Russia to Vietnam were suspended.

Currently, Russian tourists only come to Vietnam in small groups. They have to transit in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan before taking a flight to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.