Many readers and experts have given their suggestions to save the Cai Rang floating market which is gradually 'sinking'. Experts pointed out that the 'fake' floating market in Thailand is very attractive, while the real floating market in Cai Rang makes tourists dissatisfied.
Associate Professor, Dr. Dao Ngoc Canh speaks at the conference - Photo: CHI QUOC
On the afternoon of October 26, at Nam Can Tho University, a workshop was held on "Implementing the application of smart tourism system in Can Tho city, piloting at Cai Rang floating market".
According to Associate Professor Dr. Dao Ngoc Canh, head of the Department of Tourism - Restaurant and Hotel Management at Nam Can Tho University, Cai Rang floating market sank because the embankments on both sides of the market were built too high.
Prices and food safety are not controlled.
Mr. Canh expressed concern about the fact that the number of boats on the floating market is decreasing, and that more and more merchants are abandoning their boats and going ashore to find new livelihoods. According to him, there are two main reasons.
Firstly, road traffic is more convenient so people buy and sell on shore, onshore markets easily develop, and traders even come to the garden to buy fruit, no longer needing to take it to the floating market.
Second is the embankment, many opinions say that building the embankment on both sides of the floating market is too high, making it difficult for boats to load goods.
In particular, according to Mr. Canh, currently the activity of visiting floating markets is very monotonous when the "main product" is that visitors sit on a tourist boat and then go around from Ninh Kieu wharf to the floating market and then return to Ninh Kieu wharf or go to another location.
"Foreign tourists often rent small boats to experience according to their preferences, while domestic tourists often go on cruise ships, completing a tour.
They sit on a boat and go around the floating market, without having time to learn more about the floating market and other activities, and buying and selling is very difficult. For example, when selling fruit, there are boats that approach the tourist boat and sell, which does not ensure fair competition.
Food services are out of control, especially in terms of prices and food safety. Controlling activities in floating markets is an issue that needs to be addressed.
"If left floating like this, the floating market will not satisfy tourists," he said.
In addition, Mr. Canh also pointed out that traders do not benefit from the tourism activities of the floating market.
So when tourists come, they don't care because there is no revenue from tourism. Most of this revenue belongs to tourism companies and a small part goes to the vendors in the floating market (food, fruit) but this number is not much.
According to Mr. Canh, tourists only take a closed cruise from Ninh Kieu wharf to Cai Rang floating market and then return to Ninh Kieu wharf without any additional services, making tourists dissatisfied - Photo: CHI QUOC
"We see in Thailand that there are many services for visitors to the floating market, which is the main source of income for their floating market activities.
"Thailand's floating market is a fake but attractive floating market, ours is real but customers are not satisfied," Mr. Canh expressed.
Passengers take a boat from Ninh Kieu wharf to the floating market and back.
Mr. Canh wondered: "Why not learn from Thailand to make better improvements, while our potential is greater but our efficiency is not as good as theirs.
Floating markets are a national cultural heritage, but currently there are almost no solutions to maintain and develop floating markets.
We still treat it like a normal commercial market, which is clearly not appropriate."
According to Mr. Canh, first of all, it is necessary to establish a management board for Cai Rang floating market, because the floating market is the top destination of Can Tho, a national intangible cultural heritage, but it is unreasonable if no one manages it.
Currently, the situation of merchants abandoning their boats and going ashore to find new business directions, so we need to find a way to preserve the floating market by creating a livelihood right at the floating market for the merchants, preferably linked to tourism, they must benefit from tourism to feel secure.
And the next solution is to build a gathering area on the shore, this area is the "problem" for the floating market.
"To develop a floating market, there must be services to meet the needs of tourists. When we go to a floating market in Thailand, we see that they also let visitors take a boat ride around to see the sights, but then go to the assembly area to rest, eat, buy specialty goods and many other activities.
Tourists experience eating at Cai Rang floating market - Photo: CHI QUOC
From there, local specialties also have opportunities. Currently, Cai Rang floating market has about 500-700 visitors/day, even thousands of visitors/day.
If they consume goods and products while visiting the floating market, it is also a significant market. However, it is currently not exploited because visitors take a closed boat from Ninh Kieu wharf to Cai Rang floating market and then return.
From that gathering area, visitors who want to visit the floating market can rent a rowing boat and when returning, they can go by passenger ship or road, it is not necessary to go by closed ship, which makes it difficult to develop the service," Mr. Canh suggested.
Preserving floating markets with tourism: easy or difficult?Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cho-noi-gia-o-thai-lan-hap-dan-con-cho-noi-that-o-cai-rang-khach-khong-hai-long-20241026183036021.htm
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