Outbound trips by Russian travelers increased 16% year on year in 2025 to 20.1 million, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) said. Among international destinations, Vietnam recorded the most notable growth, with Russian arrivals nearly tripling to 689,700.

According to Russia’s state news agency TASS, Turkey was the top destination for Russian tourists in 2025 with 6.9 million visits, followed by China (2.5 million), the United Arab Emirates (2.4 million), Egypt (2 million), Thailand (1.9 million) and Abkhazia (1.6 million).

ATOR noted that Russian outbound travel demand in 2025 was largely concentrated on mass-market destinations capable of handling high visitor volumes. Overall growth in overseas travel was driven primarily by the reopening and expansion of major destinations such as Vietnam, while demand for less popular destinations had limited impact on the overall market.

Russia became Vietnam’s fastest-growing source market in 2025, with total arrivals from Russia exceeding the pre-pandemic level of 646,524 recorded in 2019. The figure of 689,700 marked the highest number of Russian visitors to Vietnam in the past decade.

The upward trend has continued into 2026. In January alone, Vietnam welcomed a record 125,449 Russian visitors, nearly three times higher than the figure recorded in the same period last year.

Amid this strong momentum, ATOR Executive Director Maya Lomidze said negotiations are underway to increase flight frequencies between Russia and Vietnam in response to soaring demand.

Russian airlines are expected to operate additional flights to Vietnam, with discussions still underway and a decision likely to be made in February, she revealed.

Russian arrivals to Phu Quoc are currently very high, and given the strong demand for Vietnam, expanding flight schedules is a logical step, Lomidze added.

Russian arrivals to Vietnam surged 200% in 2025

VOV.VN - The nearly 200% surge in Russian arrivals to Vietnam in 2025 not only signaled a strong recovery in tourism volumes but also reflected a strategic shift toward data-driven, technology-enabled promotion.