One of Da Nang's breakout tourism markets this year is Russia.

Da Nang received more than 411,000 visitors from Russia and other CIS countries in the first eight months of 2026, up 94.2% year on year, VietnamPlus reported. Russians alone were nearly 300,000, up 151.4%, making Russia the city's seventh-largest international market. CIS visitors were about 5.8% of all international arrivals.

VietNamNet, covering the same September 25 event hosted by the city's culture, sports and tourism department, put the eight-month Russian and CIS figure at "over 440,000," up nearly 95%. The outlets differ by about 30,000, so the safe reading is "more than 400,000, roughly double last year." VietNamNet also reported that Da Nang now ranks second in Vietnam for Russian tourists, behind Nha Trang.

Why they're coming

The engine is air links. Charter flights resumed this year, and in summer 2026 there were 16 flights a week from CIS destinations to Da Nang, per VietnamPlus. Tour operator Anex Vietnam said it connected 21 Russian and CIS cities to Vietnam this season, 11 of which sent visitors to Da Nang.

Marketing helped too. A campaign on Yandex, Russia's dominant search and ad platform, reached about 17.2 million users and generated 63.4 million impressions, and Da Nang searches on Yandex nearly tripled, VietnamPlus reported.

The profile is changing as well. Speakers at the event, as reported by VietNamNet, said the old Russian package tourist is giving way to younger travelers and families aged roughly 25 to 45, about 80% of the market, who book independently, buy one-way tickets, stay longer and visit several Vietnamese cities.

The warning

The most useful comment came from a marketer. Thu Nguyen, business development director at Yandex Ads Vietnam, advised Da Nang to target specific segments and spending power, and to avoid being "positioned as a low-cost destination," VietnamPlus reported. Deputy tourism director Nguyen Thi Hoai An said Russian arrivals help diversify the market and tend to stay longer, which suits the city's resort products.

What residents should watch

A market that doubles in a year can halve just as fast. This one depends on charters, visa policy and events far outside the city's control. The city plans more familiarization trips, more Yandex promotion and an appearance at MITT Moscow 2027.

The question for locals is the one the Yandex executive raised: does Da Nang want more visitors, or better-spending ones? The answer shows up in rents near the beach, in which businesses open on An Thuong, and in whether the city's 19.1 million-visitor target for 2026 comes with any plan for the people who live here year-round.

Sources

This story was compiled by the Da Nang Voice news desk from the published sources listed above. Facts, figures and quotes are attributed to those sources; Da Nang Voice did not conduct interviews for it unless the text says so. Corrections are dated and noted at the top of the story. Read our corrections policy. Spotted an error? Tell us.