Quang Ninh targets Russian travellers as arrivals surge

Quang Ninh is looking to build partnerships to steer more Russian visitors to Ha Long Bay and other local attractions. Beyond the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay, the province holds diverse advantages in marine tourism, cultural attractions, luxury resorts and wellness services.

At a working session with the Vietnamese Embassy in Moscow (Photo: VNA)
At a working session with the Vietnamese Embassy in Moscow (Photo: VNA)

Moscow (VNA) – The northern province of Quang Ninh is pitching itself as a prime destination for Russian tourists while seeking broader cooperation in tourism, services and logistics, heard a tourism promotion event recently held in Moscow, Russia.

Standing Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front’s provincial chapter Nguyen Chi Thanh said Quang Ninh welcomed more than 30 million visitors in 2025, including over 5 million foreigners. During the first half of this year alone, the province served nearly 3 million foreigners, but only over 10,000 came from Russia.

Thanh said Quang Ninh is looking to build partnerships to steer more Russian visitors to Ha Long Bay and other local attractions. Beyond the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay, the province holds diverse advantages in marine tourism, cultural attractions, luxury resorts and wellness services.

The province now counts around 1,500 lodging facilities ranging from one- to five-star, multiple world-class golf courses, cruise services, and modern infrastructure, including Van Don International Airport, a deep-water seaport and an extensive transport network.

Quang Ninh stands ready to facilitate investment by Russian companies in tourism, hospitality, entertainment, logistics, high technology and artificial intelligence, Thanh added.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi said bilateral tourism cooperation is is staging a strong recovery. Vietnam hosted nearly 700,000 Russian visitors in 2025, almost double the 2024 figure. In the first six months of 2026 alone, Russian arrivals exceeded 700,000.

According to him, the resumption of direct commercial and charter flights, together with favourable visa policies, has injected new momentum into tourism growth. Russia now grants electronic visas to Vietnamese citizens, while Russians can enter Vietnam visa-free for stays of up to 45 days.

Khoi commended Quang Ninh for holding the event just as Russian demand for Vietnam travel is climbing, and noted the strong turnout of Russian travel firms.

The event also saw the signing of cooperation agreements between Quang Ninh and Russian travel companies.

During a previous working session with the Quang Ninh delegation, Khoi urged the province to step up Russian-language tourism promotion, regularly join travel fairs and festivals in Russia, expand direct flight connections, and build a larger pool of Russian-speaking guides to improve visitor services.

On the occasion, the delegation also joined trade and tourism promotion activities in Yekaterinburg city within the framework of the 16th International Industrial Exhibition INNOPROM, thus spreading the image of Ha Long Bay, deepening ties with Russian partners, and widening opportunities to attract tourists and investment from the Russian market./.

VNA

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