Russia woos Asian tourists in attempt to counter European visits collapse

Russia has introduced visa-free entry for Vietnamese citizens as part of a broader effort to deal with the collapse of Western visits since its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with visitors from Asia and the Middle East. The number of tourists from EU countries travelling to Russia fell to around 160,000 in 2025, from just over 5 million in 2019. Cancelled direct flights, payment card restrictions and sanctions have effectively severed leisure travel from Europe and the US, and inbound tourism as a whole declined further in the first half of 2026. The Vietnam visa-free decree signed by Vladimir Putin and taking effect on Thursday covers tourists, businesspeople, members of delegations and transit passengers.