Russia labels Vietnam a safe destination amid conflict with Ukraine

Russia’s tourism authority has recommended Vietnam as one of the safe travel destinations without any restrictions for Russian tourists amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

Other countries in the list of the Federal Agency for Tourism of Russia are Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, UAE, China and India.

The recommendations were announced by the nation’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 2 concerning locals travelling abroad as many countries are imposing sanctions and restrictions on Moscow following its military attack against Ukraine.

Russian authorities advise citizens not to go to countries that have imposed sanctions and restrictions on Russia, because of the risk of being difficult to return to their homeland in time and safely.

The agency also noted that a number of destinations, including several Latin American countries such as Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Venezuela, are no longer available to Russian tourists due to EU and Canadian airspace restrictions.

Head of the agency said that he had held a meeting with Tunisia’s Minister of Tourism and his counterparts from Egypt and Turkey. All have assured that they want to cooperate and do not intend to impose any restrictions on Russian visitors, he added.

Vietnam has been calling for de-escalation, dialogue and peaceful resolution in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Russia contributed a significant part to the tourism market in Vietnam, and they were also among the first to be welcomed back to Vietnam under the pilot Covid-19 vaccine passport programme.

Coastal town Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa province is the most popular destination in Vietnam for Russian tourists. Pre-pandemic, Khanh Hoa annually received 500,000 Russian visitors, accounting for 70 percent of Russian arrivals in Vietnam. On average, a Russian stays for 10 days, with a high spending level, about $1,500.

Many tourism and hospitality companies in Vietnam are suffering a double blow: Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. While they pin their hope on coming robust business opportunities as the country plans to fully reopen international tourism activities from March 15 after over two years of pandemic-induced disruptions, the Russian-Ukraine crisis has rattled them.