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| The Department of Tourism participates in the online seminar “Promoting Vietnam-Russian Federation Tourism Cooperation: Potential and Solutions” |
A market with strong potential
In 2025, Hue welcomed 5.305 Russian visitors, accounting for approximately 0,8% of the city's total international overnight arrivals. However, in the first four months of 2026 alone, the number of Russian visitors reached 4.028, representing a 49,68% increase compared to the same period last year and raising their share to 1,2% of all international overnight visitors to Hue. This indicates that the Russian market is growing faster than the overall international tourism market and is beginning to expand.
Looking at the overall picture, Vietnam has become an increasingly attractive destination for Russian tourists. At the seminar “Promoting Vietnam-Russian Federation Tourism Cooperation: Potential and Solutions” held on the afternoon of May 29, Mr. Nguyen Thi Hoa Mai, Deputy Director General of Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, said that Vietnam welcomed 680.000 Russian visitors in 2025, an increase of 197% compared to 2024. During the first four months of 2026, Vietnam received 505.000 Russian visitors, up 203% over the same period in 2025.
Vietnam in general, and Hue in particular, possesses many advantages that align with the preferences of Russian tourists, including: beautiful beaches, high-quality resort destinations, distinctive cultural heritage, and diverse cuisine.
Ms. Tran Thi Hoai Tram, Director of Hue Department of Tourism, said that Hue has significant potential to strengthen cultural, tourism, and experiential cooperation with localities across Russia, particularly in heritage, festivals, cuisine, traditional craft villages, and tourism resources such as beaches, lagoons, forests, rivers, lakes, and waterfalls combined with experiences involving ethnic minority communities...
Based on research into the behavior and travel trends of Russian visitors, Hue has several opportunities to develop this market further. Its unique cultural heritage system, combined with coastal areas, lagoons, and a network of high-quality resorts, can offer a diverse range of experiences that meet the expectations of Russian travelers.
Seeking effective development strategies
According to Mr. Dang Minh Khoi, Vietnam's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Russian Federation, speaking at the online seminar “Promoting Vietnam-Russian Federation Tourism Cooperation: Potential and Solutions,” the potential for tourism cooperation between the two countries remains substantial. If current obstacles can be addressed, two-way tourist exchanges are expected to continue growing strongly in the coming years.
To achieve these goals, both countries need to innovate their tourism promotion strategies through large-scale, direct promotional activities. Airlines should study the feasibility of launching additional scheduled direct flights between localities of the two countries while maintaining the effectiveness of charter services. Tourism offerings for the Russian market should also be expanded to include long-stay resort vacations, wellness tourism, MICE tourism, and conferences and seminars for major Russian enterprises and corporations in Vietnam…
Hue's tourism sector is also researching and proposing solutions to promote the Russian tourism market in the city, including introducing tourism products associated with resort tourism, ecotourism combined with cultural heritage experiences. In addition, the sector plans to strengthen regional cooperation among Quang Tri, Hue, and Da Nang. This regional linkage is expected to create multi-experience travel itineraries that meet the diverse needs of visitors while enhancing the region's competitiveness, extending visitors' length of stay, and increasing tourism spending in Central Vietnam.
According to Ms. Tram, Hue's tourism sector is also interested in proposing that Hue and localities in the Russian Federation establish a regular cooperation mechanism. Particular attention will be given to partnering with Russian regions that have strong potential as tourist source markets for both sides. At the same time, the city plans to explore support for charter flights that connect directly to Hue or via transit hubs, improving destination accessibility and encouraging Russian visitors to stay longer and experience the city's tourism products.
In addition to market promotion and connectivity efforts, Hue also plans to strengthen destination marketing through media platforms, online travel agencies (OTAs), and digital media channels widely used in Russia to enhance awareness of Hue as a tourism destination.
For long-term cooperation, the city is studying and proposing that Hue and localities in the Russian Federation jointly develop and implement the program "Hue - A Favorite Destination for Russian Tourists in Vietnam for the 2027 - 2030 Period". The program will establish specific targets for attracting visitors, developing specialized tourism products, improving service quality, and strengthening the destination's brand, with the goal of making Hue one of the preferred destinations for Russian travelers visiting Vietnam.