Vietnam welcomed 250,000 Russian visitors last year, an increase of 71 percent compared to 2012.
This is the second year in a row Russia has ranked among the top ten tourist markets of Vietnam, according to the figure released by Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
Russian tourists are attracted to Vietnam by its warm climate, charming beaches, beautiful landscapes, friendly people, and healthy food, said the Association of Tour Operators of Russia.
Vietnam-Russia air services have been strongly developed with opening of new direct flights such as Saint Petersburg – Nha Trang and Moscow – Nha Trang.
The Vietnam Airlines has doubled its flights on the Moscow – Nha Trang route just after six months of operation and will increase to three flights a week in early 2014.
The Vietnamese tourism authority, encouraged by the rapid growth in Russian tourist arrivals in the last two years, has drawn up an ambitious plan to increase the number of Russian visitors to 300,000 in 2014.