According to an assessment by the Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Russia is seen as one of the key potential foreign tourist markets for the city’s tourism sector.  This can be mainly attributed to their long holidays, their interest in staying in 4 or 5-star hotels, and their high-spending.

Russians prefer to take long holidays in one particular destination rather than take a tour organised by local travel agents.  Therefore, they tend to visit seaside cities with high-quality services like Nha Trang, Vung Tau, Phu Quoc, Da Nang and Mui Ne.

Welcoming Russian air passengers from the first direct flight to Da Nang from Russia’s Novosibirsk on 12 May 2012

However, Da Nang has only seen a few visitors from Russia over recent years, although there are a total of 13 flights between Russia and Viet Nam each week.  Russian tourists seem not to want to visit Da Nang again after an initial visit, and this is a negative sign for the local tourism sector.  The main reasons are thought to be that the beach services in Da Nang are not as good as those in Nha Trang and Mui Ne, and the prices at the city’s 4 and 5-star hotels are higher.  In addition, few hotel employees in Da Nang can speak Russian fluently.

In an attempt to attract more Russian tourists to the city, Da Nang is giving top priority to improving the quality of customer services, developing its own special tourism products, and offering various services for high-end customers.