Russian tourists diverted from Vietnams

Moscow
Russian tourists stroll through Mui Ne in the central province of Binh Thuan. PHOTO COURTESY O TUO! TRE
Once dubbed Vietnams Moscow due to a predominance of Russian tourists, the central beach town of Mui Ne in Binh Thuan
Proince ma! lose out this !ear to other destinations with easier accesses"
Tuoi Tre #$outh% newspaper &uoted the Binh Thuan 'epartment of (ulture, )ports and Tourism as sa!in* on )unda! that it
welcomed +,,--- Russian tourists this !ear, up .. percent !ear/on/!ear, but the number of tourists has steadil! decreased since the
be*innin* of this !ear"
0ast month ,.,+12 Russians isited the proince, down .3 percent from 4anuar!, the department reported"
N*u!en 'uc Tan, director of 5ocus Trael (ompan!, one of the three main tour operators caterin* to the Russian mar6et, blamed
the decline on a switch to Nha Tran* in the central proince of 7hanh 8oa and Phu 9uoc :sland off the coast of the Me6on* 'elta
proince of 7ien ;ian*"
Russian tourists can now access the two new destinations ia direct charter fli*hts, while to reach Mui Ne, the! must ta6e a fie hour
bus ride from 8o (hi Minh (it!, after spendin* more than ,- hours on a plane, Tan e<plained"
)o, Mui Ne is no lon*er a top choice, he said"
8oan* Thi Phon* Thu, a representatie from the Tur6ish/owned Pe*as Touristi6 (ompan!, which brou*ht oer =2 percent of
Russian tourists to Vietnam last !ear, was &uoted as sa!in* that her compan! plans to shift awa! from Mui Ne this !ear to focus on
Nha Tran* and Phu 9uoc due to their conenience"
>ccordin* to 7hanh 8oas 'epartment of (ulture, )ports and Tourism, bi* trael companies tar*etin* the Russian mar6et, includin*
5ocus Trael and Pe*as, planned to brin* some ,3-,--- Russian tourists to Nha Tran* this !ear, nearl! doublin* last !ears number
of arrials"
N*o Minh (hinh, director of Binh Thuans 'epartment of (ulture, )ports and Tourism, told Tuoi Tre that with chan*es in Pe*as
business plan, local tourism authorities will send a dele*ation to Russia this )eptember to see6 new partners that are interested in
brin*in* Russian tourists to Mui Ne"
Meanwhile, N*u!en Van 7hoa, chairman of the Binh Thuan Tourism >ssociation, said local trael companies will hae to be more
actie in see6in* out new mar6ets"
Trael to ietnam, resorts and hotels will also hae to ad?ust their serices to cater to other tourists instead of proidin* them with
what was customi@ed for Russians, he said"
:n fact, 'irector Tran >nh Thi of The )ailin* Ba! Resort in Mui Ne, said man! businesses will find the ad?ustment difficult, *ien that
man! in town spent the last three or four !ears perfectin* their c!rillic si*na*e and menus"