The official tourism website of Da Nang recorded more than 1.1 million interactions and 424,000 page views within four weeks of launching a digital campaign targeting Russian-speaking travelers, highlighting the growing importance of Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) as source markets for the Central Vietnam city.
According to the Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Russia became the largest source of active users on the Da Nang FantastiCity tourism portal in May 2026, accounting for 52 percent of total users following a promotional campaign conducted in partnership with Yandex Ads.
Da Nang FantastiCity, managed by the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Center, serves as the city's official tourism information platform, providing updates on attractions, festivals, accommodation, dining, shopping, transportation, and visitor services.
The digital campaign, launched in May, aimed to increase Da Nang’s visibility among Russian-speaking travelers and direct potential visitors to official destination information as travel demand from the market continues to recover strongly.
Data collected during the first month of the campaign showed more than 1.1 million website events and 424,000 page views. Russia and several CIS countries, including Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, generated over half of the platform's traffic, with Russian ranking among its most popular languages.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoai An, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, said Russia and the CIS remain strategic markets in the city’s efforts to expand international visitor arrivals.
“As travelers increasingly seek information and plan their journeys via digital platforms, intensifying communication efforts in native languages is essential,” she said. “This approach not only enhances access to official destination insights but also significantly elevates the brand awareness of Da Nang tourism on the global stage.”
The city has been working to strengthen its appeal among Russian and CIS travelers by promoting its advantages as a modern and diversified tourism destination. Local authorities cite the city’s beach resorts, entertainment facilities, golf courses, culinary experiences, wellness offerings, and cultural attractions, as well as its proximity to World Heritage sites and other destinations in Central Vietnam, as key strengths for attracting long-stay and experience-oriented visitors.
Tourism officials also emphasize Da Nang’s reputation as a safe destination with steadily improving service standards. Measures have been introduced to strengthen visitor safety, enhance service quality management, and expand the use of digital technology in tourism support services.
The campaign comes amid a broader recovery in the Russian outbound tourism market.
According to figures from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, Vietnam welcomed nearly 690,000 Russian visitors in 2025, approaching pre-pandemic levels. Growth has continued into 2026, with 862,110 Russian-speaking visitors arriving in Vietnam during the first five months of the year.
Russian nationals accounted for 617,851 arrivals during the period, representing a 194 percent increase compared with the same period of 2025.
Tourism officials believe the rebound presents significant opportunities for Da Nang to expand its presence in Russia and CIS markets through targeted promotion activities and improved air connectivity.
In the first five months of 2026, Da Nang welcomed more than 180,000 visitors from Russia and the CIS, accounting for around 4 percent of the city’s total international arrivals.
The city has continued operating charter flights connecting Da Nang with Russia and CIS destinations between April and October 2026. A notable milestone was recorded on April 23, when Da Nang received its first direct charter flight from Moscow.
Local authorities view the expansion of international air links as an important factor in strengthening the city’s visibility and improving access for travelers from the region.
At the same time, Da Nang has continued efforts to improve tourism services and maintain a safe, friendly, and visitor-oriented environment. Authorities have expanded visitor support systems, strengthened quality control measures, and increased the use of technology to provide tourism information.
Officials say these initiatives are particularly important in attracting high-spending and long-stay travelers, including those from Russia and CIS countries.
Additional data from Yandex points to growing online interest in the destination. Searches for “Da Nang” by users in Russia and the CIS increased by 201 percent year-on-year during the fourth quarter of 2025, suggesting rising awareness of the city among travelers in the region.
Ms. Thu Nguyen, Business Development Manager at Yandex Ads, said search behavior indicates that interest among Russian-speaking travelers extends beyond casual browsing and reflects active travel planning.
“What we see from Yandex Ads data is not just travel curiosity, but clear planning intent,” she said.
According to Yandex, hotel-related queries accounted for the largest share of Vietnam travel searches among Russian-speaking users, with interest in accommodation rising 400 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The company also noted that users in high-income and premium-income segments accounted for nearly half of Russian-speaking travelers researching trips, suggesting strong spending potential among independent visitors.
For destination marketers, these insights provide a clearer picture of when travelers are planning trips, which segments are most likely to convert, and what content resonates most during the decision-making process.
The impact of the trend is also being reflected in the hospitality sector.
According to Yandex Ads, campaigns conducted for an international five-star hotel and resort brand operating properties in Vietnam, including Da Nang, generated conversion rates 2.33 times higher and return on investment 1.98 times greater than during the previous summer season.
The results suggest that growing interest from Russian and CIS travelers may translate not only into higher engagement with destination marketing campaigns but also into measurable business outcomes for hotels, resorts, and tourism service providers.
Da Nang has set an ambitious tourism target for 2026, aiming to welcome approximately 19.5 million visitors, including 8.7 million international arrivals.
To achieve this goal, the city plans to diversify and expand its international source markets, with Russia and the CIS identified as among the most promising segments for future growth.
Tourism officials believe the combination of rising international travel demand, increasing reliance on online travel research and booking platforms, and expanding international flight connectivity creates favorable conditions for attracting more visitors from the region.
Looking ahead, Da Nang intends to continue strengthening its presence across digital platforms, increase localized communications in native languages, and expand partnerships with airlines, travel companies, technology platforms, and international media organizations.
Authorities expect that broader marketing efforts and more targeted engagement with potential travelers will help attract additional international arrivals, support sustainable tourism growth, and enhance the city’s competitiveness within the Asia-Pacific tourism market.
As international tourism continues to recover, destinations are competing not only for visitors but also for visibility during the trip-planning stage. For Da Nang, the ability to engage travelers in their native language, identify emerging market trends, and convert online interest into actual arrivals will be increasingly important to sustaining growth.
