Sad street, empty shop
Dong Hoi City's walking street was opened in April 2021, on two parallel streets, Phan Boi Chau (Dong Hai Ward) and Dong Hai Street (Hai Thanh Ward), with Phong Thuy Canal running in the middle.
Dong Hoi City Walking Street was born with many expectations.
Walking Street is deserted in the middle of the tourist season: Shops are 'crying' waiting for customers
Expecting that the walking street will be a new product at night in the form of "slow tourism", Dong Hoi City has invested heavily in this street. Specifically, completing the sidewalk system of 2 roads; decorating the lighting system on the pedestrian bridge; renovating the flower garden system, trees, and lighting on both banks; arranging 6 parking spots around the area with a total area of 1,570m2 ...
The city also diverted traffic and developed plans for 26 checkpoints in the neighborhood, where the civil defense forces of the two wards are on duty. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, from 6pm to 12am, the walking street is lit up to serve tourists.
When it first opened, the walking street attracted a lot of tourists to come here to shop, eat and participate in cultural and artistic activities, folk games, etc. However, the crowded scene gradually faded away and now the number of visitors is very low, even during the peak tourist season. To find out the reason, Thanh Nien directly asked the opinions of tourists who come here.
In the middle of the tourist season, the walking street is almost deserted.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa, a tourist from Hue, who came to Dong Hoi walking street for the first time, commented: "The walking streets in other places I see have two characteristics: one is that there must be a lot of restaurants, bars..., playing cheerful music, and employees spilling out onto the sidewalk to welcome customers. Two is that there are variety shows and street art performances. But here neither of those things exist, I only see a few restaurants and cafes."
Ms. Hoa's mood is probably the same as many people who have been here. The walking street is sad, so they don't come anymore.
Business situation of households is sluggish
According to Thanh Nien , although it is a walking street, many cars and motorbikes are still parked along the street. Many houses in the street front are closed and lights off because they do not do any business, but simply live here.
A resident of Phan Boi Chau Street even compared that every weekend the street is… isolated. "It would be better if it was always crowded, this place is deserted. Meanwhile, we live in the area and it is very difficult to get in and out when people set up checkpoints and ban vehicles. The only benefit I see is that the children in the neighborhood can go out to play without having to worry about anything," this person said sadly.
Quick view 8pm August 2: Walking street in Quang Binh deserted | Quang Tri pine forest poisoned
Change or "untie" the walking street
The deserted situation has also caused the business of businesses on Dong Hai and Phan Boi Chau streets to plummet. Mr. Nguyen Duy Khanh, the owner of a porridge and noodle shop on Dong Hai Street, said that before the walking street was built, he could do 10 nights, but now he can only do 3. "We have lost 3 weekend nights. People blocked the road to build a walking street, so customers no longer come here to eat and drink," Mr. Khanh said.
Therefore, according to Mr. Khanh, if the government wants to maintain it, it must change it somehow to make it suitable and attract tourists. If not, it should "untie" the walking street and turn it into a purely culinary street, serving tourism.
Mr. Nguyen Duy Khanh, owner of a porridge and noodle shop on Dong Hai Street, said that before the walking street opened, he could do 10 jobs, but now he can only do 3.
Talking to Thanh Nien, Mr. Pham Ngoc Thang, Chairman of Hai Thanh Ward People's Committee admitted that the ward and city leaders have heard and shared the difficulties of the people. The city is making great efforts to build this walking street to develop the night economy. The city and the province are also continuing to research and invest to make the walking street more magnificent. In the process of development, there are new things, sometimes the people have not been able to adapt.
According to Mr. Thang, in order to develop the walking street, in addition to the State's investment, the people must also change. Tourists coming to Dong Hoi City need to have a place to spend their money, especially at night. If people invest and open legal businesses that are suitable for the walking street model, they can get money from tourists. If they only do normal businesses such as selling sugarcane juice or small restaurants, it will be very difficult.
Entrance to walking street
Mr. Dang Dong Ha, Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism of Quang Binh province, shared that walking streets associated with night-time economic development are a common concern of the tourism industry, Dong Hoi city and Quang Binh province in diversifying night-time tourism products.
But to develop the walking street, there are difficulties in terms of planning, culture of local people who are not familiar with this type... "Dong Hoi City is making a lot of efforts to develop the walking street, even allowing local people to study and visit walking streets in some places. But in fact, the space of Dong Hoi City's walking street is being built on the old one, cannot be expanded further, is not wide enough to reach tourists; the business items of the people are not rich, so it is difficult to retain tourists", Mr. Ha said.
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