From Russia no love: ruble slump squeezes SE Asia tourism - All Vietnam

The ruble’s sharp decline is exacting a toll on Southeast Asian tourism as Russians think twice about doubling their budgets for their next beach holiday in Vietnam, Thailand or Cambodia.

A Thai street vendor waits for customers at Patong beach in Phuket
(Photo: reuters)

The rouble fell 43 percent last year against the dollar, hurt by plunging oil prices and Western sanctions imposed over Moscow’s role in the Ukraine political crisis. A Russian tourist now needs to fork out as much as 140,000 rubles ($2,479) for a trip to Vietnam, including plane tickets and accommodation, up from 60,000 rubles last year, a state-run Vietnamese newspaper estimated. For those who do make it to Vietnam, they are buying instant noodles instead of eating out, local media reported.

Russians account for billions of dollars in tourism revenue in Southeast Asia and rank second after Chinese travelers in number. Food menus in Russian are ubiquitous in Phuket. Street vendors in Vietnamese beach towns have picked up Russian words. In 2013, when Russian tourist arrivals in Vietnam more than doubled, national carrier Vietnam Airlines launched direct flights linking Moscow with the former U.S. airbase in Cam Ranh near the popular coastal town of Nha Trang.

In January-to-March, some 95,800 Russians visited Vietnam, down 27 percent from a year earlier and the first quarterly fall since 2012. Cambodia’s Tourism Ministry counted nearly 18,300 Russian tourists in the first two months of 2015, down 51 percent. Thailand drew 1.6 million Russian tourists in 2014, down 8.6 percent. Arrivals slumped 46 percent in January this year. In the same month, Russian visitors to the Philippines dropped 12 percent.

“Russian tourists have been steadily declining in Thailand since last year particularly because of the depreciation of the rouble,” said Surapong Techaruvichit, president of the Thai Hotels Association. “Destinations that have traditionally been popular with Russians, including Phuket and Pattaya, have been hit hard.”

From Russia no love: ruble slump squeezes SE Asia tourism - All Vietnam

Vietnam latest news - Thanh Nien Daily | Emirates offers Moscow – Dubai – HCMC flights

Emirates offers Moscow – Dubai – HCMC flights 

Last Updated: Saturday, July 14, 2012 12:25:00

The United Arab Emirates’ airline Emirates is offering Moscow – Dubai – Ho Chi Minh City flights from now until September 30, Vietnam News Agency reported Friday.

For a round trip costing 21,000 rupees (nearly US$650), including taxes and other airport charges, passengers fly directly from Moscow to the Vietnamese southern metro.

On their return trip, they transit at Duai and stay there for one night with a free hotel room and airport pickup service, the report said.

Vietnam latest news - Thanh Nien Daily | Emirates offers Moscow – Dubai – HCMC flights

Vietnam latest news - Thanh Nien Daily | Emirates offers Moscow – Dubai – HCMC flights

Emirates offers Moscow – Dubai – HCMC flights 

Last Updated: Saturday, July 14, 2012 12:25:00

The United Arab Emirates’ airline Emirates is offering Moscow – Dubai – Ho Chi Minh City flights from now until September 30, Vietnam News Agency reported Friday.
For a round trip costing 21,000 rupees (nearly US$650), including taxes and other airport charges, passengers fly directly from Moscow to the Vietnamese southern metro.
On their return trip, they transit at Duai and stay there for one night with a free hotel room and airport pickup service, the report said.

HCM City welcomes the 3 millionth visitor | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

LookAtVietnam - HCM City’s 3 millionth foreign
visitor arrived in Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 8.30 am, December 21,
on a flight from Moscow.

More than 200 visitors on the flight were warmly welcomed.
Three lucky visitors were presented a return ticket for the trip as the city’s
gift to the 3 millionth visitor.

At the welcome gate, visitors were presented with flowers
and enjoyed Vietnamese traditional dances.

“I’ve been to many countries. This welcome ceremony is very
impressive. Vietnam has beautiful landscapes, long coast and warm weather so I
decided Vietnam as the destination for my holiday. I’ll surely return here many
times,” said Mrs. Nina Fedorova, the 3 first millionth visitor.

This is the first time HCM City holding a welcome ceremony
to international tourists.

The city’s Tourism Department deputy director La Quoc Khanh
said the ceremony marked the important development of the city’s tourism sector,
with a 20 percent growth rate over 2009.

According to Khanh, the number of Russian visitors to
Vietnam is rising. Their spending in Vietnam is also very high, which increases
from 50-80 percent annually.

The city has also launched a promotional month for tourists
from December 15 2010 to January 15 2011.

The 3 millionth visitor – Mrs. Nina Fedorova.

PV

Russian defense minister arrives in Vietnam for military talks

Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov will discuss military cooperation with the Vietnamese authorities during his visit to the south-east Asian state on Tuesday, his spokeswoman said.

Serdyukov, who arrived in Vietnam on Monday, would meet with the country's President Nguyen Minh Triet and the defense minister, Gen. Phung Quang Thanh, during his stay in Hanoi.

Russia and Vietnam have cooperated in the military sphere since 1953. In 1998, Moscow and Hanoi signed an intergovernmental agreement on military cooperation, and a relevant Russian-Vietnamese intergovernmental commission was established in 1999.

In October 2008, during the Vietnamese president's visit to Moscow, Russia and Vietnam set up a strategy of military and technical cooperation until 2020 by signing a relevant intergovernmental memorandum.

Serdyukov's spokeswoman said 'starting from 2008, we observe a stable increase in purchase of Russian military equipment by Vietnam.'

Military contracts signed by Moscow and Hanoi in 2008 were estimated at more than $1 billion, she said. In 2009, Russia and Vietnam signed deals with a total worth of $3.5 billion.

According to the spokeswoman, contracts signed since the start of 2010 are estimated at $1 billion.

HANOI, March 23 (RIA Novosti)"