Accordingly, the airline will operate the direct flight between Moscow and Ho Chi Minh City with a frequency of two flights per week on a trial basis until the end of March. The carrier is likely to add an additional one flight per week on this route starting from mid-February.

Russian travel companies expect that the demand for travelling to Vietnam will increase after direct flights are once again resumed between the two countries. 

This can be attributed to the visa-free entry policy for Russian tourists entering Vietnam, with a stay of up to 45 days.

Furthermore, Vietnam is also among the 10 most popular destinations for Russian tourists in February, according to a report released by the Association of Tour Operators in Russia (ATOR).

Daria Domostroeva, public relations director of Intourist company, said the demand for travelling to Vietnam has been increasing significantly, adding that the launch of direct flights to Ho Chi Minh City will open up greater opportunities for visitors to go to places such as Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne, and Phu Quoc. 

Olga Ivanova, a representative from Fun&Sun Company, revealed that the firm has also recorded high demand from the Russian market, noting that the new service to Ho Chi Minh City will boost the Russian tourists’ demand for visiting the nation moving forward. 

According to a representative from Itm Group, one of the main advantages of Vietnamese tourism is the competitive prices of accommodation facilities. This has helped Vietnam to compete with Thailand where tourism costs are remarkably increasing amid high demand from both the Russian and Chinese markets. 

However, as part of efforts to restore the number of Russian tourists to the country like before the COVID-19 pandemic, there still needs to be charter flights with more affordable tour prices in the time ahead

At a recent conference, IRAERO airline said it plans to open the Irkut (Russia) - Cam Ranh (Vietnam) flight at the end of February. 

The airline is also ready to operate charter flights to bring Russian tourists to Vietnam, said Evgenia Mikhailova, director of the Irkutskaya Federal Department of Tourism, hoping that with more convenient travel, the number of Russian tourists coming to Vietnamese cities will increase rapidly.