Russia is stepping up efforts to attract tourists from Asia and the Middle East as the number of European visitors has plummeted since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The latest move is a visa-free entry scheme for Vietnamese citizens, signed by President Vladimir Putin and effective from Thursday.
The decree covers tourists, businesspeople, members of official delegations, and transit passengers. Vietnamese nationals seeking long-term residency, employment, or study in Russia will still need a visa. The arrangement reciprocates a policy that has allowed Russians to visit Vietnam without a visa for up to 45 days.
The shift eastward comes as Western leisure travel to Russia has effectively collapsed. According to official data, tourist arrivals from EU countries fell from just over 5 million in 2019 to around 160,000 in 2025. Cancelled direct flights, restrictions on payment cards, and sanctions have severed most travel from Europe and the United States. Inbound tourism overall declined further in the first half of 2026.
Vietnam emerges as a key partner
Vietnam has become one of Russia's most important sources of tourists. The Association of Tour Operators of Russia reports that Vietnamese visitors to Russia rose 69% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. The industry body projects a further 25–30% increase now that the visa requirement has been removed.
The numbers are also rising in the other direction. Vietnam's National Administration of Tourism recorded 1,134,000 Russian visitors in the first nine months of 2026, a 160% increase year-on-year, making Russia the country's third-largest source market. Vietnam is now the third most popular foreign destination for Russian travellers.
The visa deal follows a meeting in Moscow in early September between Putin and Vietnamese President To Lam, who described the Russian leader as "a great friend and close brother of the Vietnamese people." Vietnam has not joined Western sanctions against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine and does not supply weapons to Kyiv. Hanoi has called for a ceasefire and negotiations but has avoided publicly criticising the Kremlin.
China falls short of expectations
Moscow and Beijing introduced reciprocal visa-free travel in late 2025, but Chinese arrivals have grown more slowly than hoped. The Russian government has projected 4.2 million Chinese visitors by the end of 2026 and 5.5 million in 2027. However, only up to 516,000 Chinese tourists arrived in the first half of 2026, a pace analysts describe as well below those targets.
Safety concerns may be a factor. Reports of drone incidents over Moscow's airports have attracted attention in Chinese media, potentially deterring some travellers. China maintains a position of official neutrality on the war, similar to Vietnam's stance.
The broader context is a deepening isolation from Europe. The European Union has repeatedly debated restricting Russian travel, and several member states have already suspended visa facilitation agreements. Meanwhile, Russia has moved to expropriate European firms as part of its asset crackdown, further straining ties.
For Moscow, the pivot to Asia is not just about tourism. It is part of a broader strategy to demonstrate that Russia can withstand Western pressure and maintain international connections. Yet the numbers suggest that replacing the European market will be a long and difficult process.
