The number of Russian tourists to Vietnam has increased over the past few years thanks to the country’s beautiful beaches with reasonable prices, the French Le Monde Diplomatique reported in its August issue.

The article titled “Charters russes pour le Vietnam” (Flights carrying Russian tourists to Vietnam) noted that the unrests in Egypt and Thailand have made Russian vacationers change their habit, shifting from Tunis (Tunisia) and Cairo (Egypt) to Ho Chi Minh City and Phan Thiet in Vietnam.

The Cam Ranh Bay, while far from the world-renown destinations such as Ha Long Bay – a world natural heritage in the north, and poetic rivers in the Mekong Delta, appeals to Russians for its white sand beaches dubbed “Sahara of Asia .”

According to author of the article Jordan Puoille, Vietnam has invested in building and improving infrastructure and diversifying tourism products and services to welcome visitors from Russia .

Last year, Vietnam welcomed 250,000 Russian visitors, a year-on-year rise of 71 percent.-VNA