The number of Russian arrivals in Vietnam reached nearly 300,000 in the first eight months of 2016, a year-on-year increase of 125 percent.

More Russian tourists are expected to explore Vietnam in the remaining months of this year, experts said.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has defined Russia a key tourism market of Vietnam.

Vietnam is viewed as a safe and friendly destination with sandy beaches, sunny weather, and hi-end resorts in the south-central region, and rich culture and gastronomy that offers enormous opportunities to attract Russian visitors.

Vietnam welcomed over 7.2 million international tourists in the first nine months of 2016, a yearly rise of 25.7 percent.

The tourism sector grossed over 297.1 trillion VND (13.36 billion USD) in revenue, a year-on-year increase of 20.2 percent.

North-east Asian markets registered the strongest growth, including China’s Hong Kong (79 percent), China (57.7 percent), the Republic of Korea (39.9 percent), and China’s Taiwan (15.7 percent).

Five Western European countries, whose nationals enjoy visa exemption in Vietnam, maintained two-digit growth such as Italy (31.1 percent), Spain (27.9 percent), the UK (23.1 percent), Germany (18.6 percent), and France (13.8 percent).

VNA