The number of Russian tourists visiting Nha Trang in the south-central coastal province of Khanh Hoa has remained stable, despite Vietnam being among one of several countries globally to be impacted by the acute respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

350 Russian tourists touch down at Cam Ranh Airport
in Khanh Hoa province on February 18.

According to statistics, Khanh Hoa province has continued to receive between three and five charter flights per week, each carrying up to 350 Russian passengers. In total, the province is continuing to welcome thousands of Russian tourists each week.

A travel agency representative has stated that during the original COVID-19 outbreak in January over 36,000 Russians arrived in Nha Trang. This figures are set to fall slightly to 34,400 during February, whilst 37,253 have registered to visit during March, representing a sharp increase.

Despite these declines, the travel operator is poised to welcome 108,000 Russian arrivals during the first quarter, with 6,000 rooms per day being used for accommodation.

Khanh Hoa province receives between three and five charter flights per week,
each carrying up to 350 Russian passengers.

Khanh Hoa province’s Department of Tourism revealed that 463,000 Russian nationals visited the locality in 2019, an increase of 4.5 per cent compared to 2018, accounting for 71.6 per cent of all Russian arrivals to the country. In January of this year alone over 50,000 Russian arrivals have visited the province.

A local survey suggests that each Russian tourist spends an average of 14.1 days in Khanh Hoa, and a total of US$1,500 per person, equivalent to US$110 per day, proving that Nha Trang remains an attractive destination among Russian guests.

Buses serve the hundreds of Russian tourists that arrive each charter flight.

In contrast, Khanh Hoa province’s Department of Tourism said that the first quarter saw the number of Chinese arrivals fall by 470,000, whilst the number of foreign arrivals from other markets fell by 250,000 as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Alongside this the number of domestic arrivals fell by 300,000.

Despite falls among other markets, Nha Trang’s beaches and entertainment areas remain full of Russian tourists.