Number of Russian tourists to Binh Thuan rises

Photo: Vietnamtourism.gov.vn The Binh Thuan Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism reported that in the first nine months of 2010, the province greeted nearly 62,600 Russian tourists, making up one third of the total foreign tourists there. Since 2008, Russian tourists took the lead in the number of foreign tourists to Binh Thuan with nearly 30,000. In 2009, the figure increased nearly double to 57,000. The high tourism season starts in November as foreign tourists travel to avoid winter and the Cam Ranh International Airport welcomes direct flights from Russia. The conditions are expected to contribute to the increasing number of Russian tourists to the province. Currently, Mui Ne in Binh Thuan has became a Russian village with many hotels, resort, restaurants, spas and sport centers opened by Russians in cooperation with Vietnamese. Mrs. Tran Thi Phong Thu, Head of the Board of Directors of Anh Duong International Travel Co. said that more and more high-income Russians are spending money on long winter vacations. Russian tourists like traveling to Binh Thuan because the province is nearly 200km from Ho Chi Minh City, has high quality accommodations, delicious and inexpensive seafood. Mr. Le Van Nghia, Head of the board of directors of Nhat Minh International Tourism Co. said that Russian tourists to Vietnam are mainly from Moscow and tourists from the Russian Far East will rank second. Since December 2010, Rusian carrier, Vladivostok Avia, will carry tourists from Khabarovsk and Vladivosto to Vietnam by aircraft TU240 or A330 with one flight a week to Cam Ranh and Hanoi. Aiming to offer opportunities for tourists to visit and relax in Binh Thuan, Mr. Nguyen Van Thu, Deputy Head of the Binh Thuan’s People Committee said that the province will call upon investment in an old airport to be upgraded as a local airport to welcome small-sized aircraft and an international airport in Hoa Thang, Bac Binh District will be built in the future. Together with Ham Tien – Mui Ne Resort, Phan Thiet has been completing Tien Thanh Resort into becoming a sea eco-tourism site.