
Phan
Thiet-Mui
Ne
in
the
southern
province
of
Binh
Thuan
has
become
one
of
Vietnam’s
most
attractive
tourist
destinations,
proving
particularly
popular
with
Russian
visitors
in
recent
years.
Binh
Thuan
Culture,
Sports,
and
Tourism
Department
Director
Ngo
Minh
Chinh
reported
that
the
province
welcomed
30%
of
the
190,000
Russian
tourists
to
have
visited
Vietnam
since
the
start
of
2013.
Binh
Thuan
province’s
tourist
numbers
are
still
limited
by
its
lack
of
seaports
and
airports,
but
Russian
arrivals
have
grown
steadily
since
2006.
About
35%
of
Binh
Thuan’s
2013
visitor
arrivals
were
of
Russian
origin.
Russian
tourists
also
stay
for
longer
than
others,
with
their
average
holidays
lasting
at
least
seven
days.
Binh
Thuan’s
Tourism
Development
Board
has
recognised
the
Russian
market’s
potential
and
dispatched
provincial
leader
and
travel
agency
delegations
to
promote
its
destinations
in
major
Russian
cities.
Russian
tour
operators
and
travel
press
have
also
visited
Binh
Thuan
to
survey
tourism
marketing.
Twenty
Russian
tour
operators
have
arrived
in
Phan
Thiet
since
2012.
They
investigated
the
quality
of
services,
the
standard
of
accommodation
facilities,
and
the
new
Ham
Tien-Mui
Ne
tourist
area,
says
Binh
Thuan
Provincial
Tourism
Association
President
Nguyen
Van
Khoa.
The
high
season
for
Russian
tourists
stretches
from
September
to
early
March
as
visitors
flee
harsh
European
winters
for
the
warm
sunshine
of
Mui
Ne.
Phan
Thiet-Mui
Ne’s
luxury
resorts
are
especially
popular.
Many
Russian
airlines
have
recently
opened
direct
flights
to
Vietnam,
complementing
the
market’s
increasing
regard
for
Vietnam
and
Phan
Thiet
as
premier
holiday
destinations.
Binh
Thuan
province
is
hard
at
work
preparing
for
the
forecast
surge
in
Russian
tourist
arrivals.
Its
plans
include
overcoming
the
limitations
of
provincial
transport
infrastructure,
improving
service
quality,
diversifying
its
tourism
products,
and
protecting
its
reputation
as
a
safe
and
friendly
environment
for
travellers.
Source:
VOV