Anh Duong Co has called for doubling the visa-free stay for Russians to one month to attract more tourists from that country, especially those looking for long vacations.

Mikhail Simonov, general director of Anh Duong, a tourist firm bringing Russian visitors to Viet Nam, made the proposal at a conference on developing tourism products in central coastal provinces held last Sunday within the framework of the 2013 Nha Trang Sea Festival.

The number of Russian tourists coming to Viet Nam grew strongly last year to 174,000, a 71 per cent rise from 2011.

In the first five months of this year, despite a decline in the number of arrivals from other markets, the number of Russian visitors has continued to rise, jumping by 57.8 per cent year-on-year to nearly 137,000. — VNS