World’s ‘second most beautiful island’ prepares for surge of Russian visitors this winter

By Hoang Vu, August 23, 2025 | 05:00 pm GMT+7

Direct flights from several major Russian cities to Phu Quoc will launch later this year, expected to drive a surge of Russian tourists to the southern Vietnamese island during the 2025–2026 winter season.

In addition to existing services from Moscow and Krasnoyarsk, charter flights from six additional cities — Samara, Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Kazan, Novokuznetsk, and Novosibirsk to Phu Quoc are expected to take off later this year, according to Travel and Tour World.

A Vietnamese airline has also announced plans to operate direct flights from key cities in Russia’s Far East, including Vladivostok, Blagoveshchensk, and Khabarovsk, from October and November.

Leading Russian tour operators including Anex Tour, Russian Express, and Space Travel project that winter bookings to Phu Quoc in 2025–2026 will rise by 30–35% year-on-year thanks to the expanded air network.

Phu Quoc, voted “the world’s second most beautiful island” by American magazine Travel + Leisure last year, welcomed 980,000 foreign tourists in the first seven months of this year, up 74% year-on-year.

From May to July 2025, traditionally the low season for international tourists, Phu Quoc still attracted over 350,000 foreign visitors, marking an average monthly increase of nearly 80% compared to the same period in 2024, according to An Giang Province Department of Tourism.

Statistics from Phu Quoc International Airport reveal significant increases in arrivals, with Russian visitors surging by 311% compared to the same period last year.

Source: Phu Quoc surpasses Bali to be voted Asia’s most beautiful island – VnExpress International