By Thu  Trà

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam is drawing growing interest from Russian tourists as rising online search activity and recovering air links prompt travellers to research destinations, hotels and experiences more independently before booking, industry insiders said.

Travel-related searches for Việt Nam rose 163 per cent in 2025 from a year earlier, outpacing Malaysia, Japan and China, where search volumes increased 66 per cent, 65 per cent and 63 per cent, respectively, according to Yandex Ads, a digital advertising and monetisation platform with more than 120 million users, primarily across Russia and the CIS region.

Việt Nam accounted for about 21 per cent of travel-related search interest among the Asian destinations tracked, behind China at 31 per cent and Thailand at 29 per cent. Search data does not represent actual visitor market share, but indicates growing consideration of Việt Nam alongside established Asian destinations.

The increase in online interest has coincided with a sharp rise in arrivals. The number of Russian tourists visiting Việt Nam surpassed one million in the first eight months of 2026, up 165.7 per cent from a year earlier, the highest growth rate among Việt Nam's main international tourist markets.

Đà Nẵng sees sharp rise in Russian visitors

The trend is also evident in Đà Nẵng, a major central coastal destination, where Russian travellers have become an increasingly important source of international visitors.

Nearly 300,000 visitors from Russia visited Đà Nẵng in the first eight months of 2026, making Russia the city's seventh-largest source market. 

Looking ahead, the city plans to focus on attracting higher-spending visitors and encouraging longer stays as the Russian market continues to recover.

Nguyễn Thị Hoài An, deputy director of the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the city would work with airlines, travel agencies and other partners to develop more specialised tourism products, encouraging visitors to stay longer, experience more activities and spend more at the destination.

Appeal to Russian tourists

Việt Nam has become increasingly attractive to Russian travellers compared with other destinations in Asia, helped by the restoration and expansion of direct and charter flights as well as more favourable visa conditions, said Nguyễn Thị Diễm Thư, business development manager at Yandex Ads.

Việt Nam's perceived safety and stability are also increasingly important considerations, particularly for families and longer-stay visitors, Thư told Việt Nam News.

Russian travellers are also becoming more independent in planning their trips, increasingly researching and comparing hotels, destinations and experiences themselves rather than relying entirely on packaged tours, she said.

For longer stays, travellers may consider not only accommodation but also dining, transport, wellness services, family activities and cultural experiences, Thư said.

Việt Nam's growing appeal reflects not only improved connectivity but also the emergence of more digitally engaged Russian travellers who spend more time researching destinations before making a booking, she said.

From low-cost to higher value

The advantages do not mean Việt Nam has overtaken destinations such as Thailand, which has a more mature tourism ecosystem and remains highly competitive in serving international travellers, Thư said.

The larger opportunity for Việt Nam is to position itself as a higher-value destination offering services such as fine dining, wellness, tailor-made tours and family-oriented experiences.

"Price should not become Việt Nam's long-term positioning," Thư said. "The larger opportunity is to move from being perceived as a low-cost destination to a high-value destination."

Demand from Russian travellers is also likely to become more segmented and self-directed, with visitors increasingly choosing accommodation, experiences and services based on the needs of those travelling with them rather than relying on standard tour packages.

For longer trips, travellers may combine several destinations, such as Phú Quốc, Đà Nẵng and Hội An, creating opportunities across a wider tourism value chain, from hotels, restaurants and transport to wellness, retail, tours and local products.

"Over the longer term, success in the Russian market should not be measured by visitor numbers alone," Thư said, adding that length of stay, spending, repeat visits and the use of local products and services are also important indicators of whether tourism growth is generating value for destinations.

Record projection in 2026

The number of Russian tourists visiting Việt Namis projected to reach a record 1.5 million in 2026, according to Russia's Ministry of Economic Development.

Nikita Kondratiev, director of the Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects at Russia's Ministry of Economic Development, said the number of Russian tourists visiting Việt Nam was only about 750,000 a year at the market's pre-pandemic peak in 2018-19.

The projected 1.5 million arrivals would therefore represent roughly double the pre-pandemic level, he said.

Yuri Barzykin, vice president of the Russian Union of Travel Industry, said Russians planning to spend the New Year holiday abroad most frequently chose Việt Nam, Thailand and China.

Russian travel services company Tutu said bookings for flights to Việt Nam departing between October and December had increased 32 per cent compared with the same period last year. —VNS