THỪA THIÊN- HUẾ — Huế City is asking authorities to allocate land in central Thừa Thiên- Huế Province to set up markets for street vendors in an attempt to upgrade its tourism profile.

According to Nguyễn Đăng Thạnh, the city’s vice chairman, the city has targeted 11,150sq.m of land located near a recently-developed residential area An Cựu to build a market.

Thạnh said the market would house vendors who wander around the city carrying local fruits and meal ingredients for sale to urban dwellers and visitors.

The city also prepared plans to erect food stands along the city’s main streets to accommodate street food vendors.

Women carrying bamboo baskets on their shoulders, selling fruits, flowers and cooked food, represent the cultural identity of Vietnamese cities, including the former imperial capital city of Huế.

Those vendors, however, create an outdated look for local tourism and are often blamed for showing poor behaviour while trying to get visitors to buy their items.

Thạnh said a market for them would help meet demand of city dwellers for local fruits and food ingredients from the countryside and upgrade the city’s tourism profile at the same time.

Further, the food stands would make local food specialties have a better, cleaner look for better consumption, he said. Almost the best local foods in Huế are sold through street mobile baskets and eateries, which appear to have poor hygiene.

Thạnh added that the city had temporarily allocated security personnel to find and stop vendors from chasing visitors to force them buy their items.

Earlier, HCM City authorities zoned areas designated for street food vendors as part of its campaign to clear pavements. After months, those street food vendors said they experienced better sales thanks to the planned policy. — VNS