A representative from a travel firm which specialises in providing tours for Russians said numbers to Nha Trang City this month would reach 34,400, representing only a slight fall against 36,000 before the coronavirus outbreak. 

Russian tourists at Cam Ranh Airport

He added that up to 37,253 Russian tourists had booked his firm's tours to Vietnam in March. The company is expected to serve around 108,000 Russian holidaymakers in the first three months of this year.

Most charter flights have been used to transport Russian tourists to Nha Trang.

The Khanh Hoa Department of Tourism reported that the province welcomed nearly 463,000 Russian visitors last year, up 4.5% on-year, accounting for 71.6% of total Russian tourist numbers to Vietnam in the year.

The average spending of a Russian visitor in Nha Trang was around USD110 per day.

The Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa Tourism Association has proposed local authorities adopt measures to support local travel companies hit by coronavirus.

The recommendation includes the extension for paying 2019 corporate income tax until December 31 this year, cutting value added tax to 5% from the current level of 10% and cutting interest on bank loans by 50%.

Khanh Hoa needs to attract tourists from more markets such as Europe, the Middle East, Japan and India in the context of a sharp drop in Chinese visitors.

The association has also asked to temporarily remove the ban of passenger buses of more than 29 seats to go into main streets.