Russian tourists are easygoing people and among the top spenders, but they have specific characteristics. Understanding these characteristics and seizing opportunity to have appropriate strategy of attracting Russian tourists at this time is very important, because for the long time, the Ba Ria - Vung Tau’s tourism industry has only chance to welcome the huge number of tourists from Russia for convalescence.
In the season of Russian tourists’ visit
According to the records of tourism companies, from 2013, Russian visitors have begun to return to Ba Ria - Vung Tau after years diverted to other provinces and cities nationwide. They have room and services booking through the online booking channel by self-styled tourism. In summer, only few Russian tourists visit Ba Ria - Vung Tau, stay from 1 to 2 nights. From November onwards, when Europe in the cold winter, number of Russian wintering tourists increase and stay longer.
A representative of An Hoa Tourism Corporation, the investor of Anhoa residence villa (Long Hai town, Long Dien District) said, wintering Russians prefer sunny beaches, wild and fresh nature which separated from residential areas, abundant source of fresh seafood, good services and reasonable prices ... Where have these factors above and hospitable attitude of the host, Russian tourists will come and turn back following years. From November to April of next year, Anhoa residence is always crowded by Russians, this group leaves and another one will come.
Mr. Phan Dinh Son – General Director of Anh Duong Company (the company receives more than 50% of Russian visitors to Vietnam), said in the peak time of convalescence in this winter, Anh Duong Company began offering tours, introduce destinations and cooperation with a number of coastal resorts of Ba Ria - Vung Tau to welcome Russian tourists as Ho Chi Minh City is the new destination of Russian tourists with direct flights from 9 cities in Siberia and the Russian Far East. In the holiday lasts from 10-14 days, Russian tourists from Ho Chi Minh City will move to resorts in Long Hai, Ho Tram, Ho Coc and Binh Chau, then return to Ho Chi Minh City for souvenir shopping combining visiting about 2-3 days before the end of the holiday for going home.
In last September, tourism companies in the province including OSC Vietnam, Sai Gon – Binh Chau Tourism Company, Vietsovepetro Resort proactively catch opportunities of attracting Russian tourists by attending the Tourism Fall Fair held in Moscow (Russian Federation). This is the biggest tourism fair of the year gathering travel agents of Russia and the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States).
Mr. Nguyen Danh Ha, Deputy Director of OSC Vietnam Travel says, “This fair was held annually to wait in front for the beginning of wintering of Russian and the CIS, so information of countries and regions where have beaches and seafood, sunshine, good security are always concerned. Ba Ria - Vung Tau has Russian community living and working for a few decades, however, information on Ba Ria - Vung Tau’s tourism to the Russian market is very limited. Joining the fair, OSC Vietnam Travel has enlisted to broadcast services, products of OSC Vietnam system and landscapes, potentials of Ba Ria - Vung Tau over 14 tours offered at the fair. The initial signal is positive, some partners contacted and desired to learn more”.
How to welcome opportunity?
Though Russian tourists are considered as easygoing guests and ranked in the highest-spending tourists, they rarely use English. The current wide gap of Ba Ria - Vung Tau tourism is the lack of manpower knew Russian. Since 2014, the Vietnam Tourism Association also supports Ba Ria - Vung Tau to open basic Russian language training course for 40 employees of the tourism businesses in the locality.
According to the Vietnam Tourism Association, in the past 2 years, the growth of Russian visitors to Vietnam reached its highest level in all the markets of international visitors to Vietnam. In 2012, Vietnam welcomed 174,000 Russian visitors, up 71% in 2013, the growth of Russian visitors to Vietnam was also equivalent to 2012 with nearly 300,000 visitors. The objective of welcoming 350,000 Russian visitors in 2015 can be achieved earlier in this year, it is because by the end of August 2014, there were about 240,000 Russian visitors to Vietnam, an increase of 28% compared to the same period in 2013.
In addition, according to the Anh Duong Company, scheduled from October 2014 to April 2015, there are 2 special aircrafts with about 180 guests to Tan Son Nhat airport every week, and even the number of guests will be doubled. "The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Tourism Association need to navigate the State management on strategic vision and act as the hub to connect travel services units to solve the questions how to harmonize all segments of foreign tourists and welcome Russian tourists in order to fill up in the low season", said Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, General Director of Ben Thanh - Long Hai Tourism Corporation.
Dang Khoa