As land and air travel are increasingly developed, the Mekong Delta are at risk of losing its renowned floating markets. Fewer traders are setting sail to the Cai Rang Floating Market in Can Tho City, posing the threat that the market will gradually sink into oblivion. Particularly, Cai Rang floating market still exists in a special way, which is tourism development.

Many tourists, especially international ones, are impressed with Can Tho through Cai Rang floating market and beautiful canals. Mr. Le Thanh Phong, Standing Vice Chairman of Mekong Delta Tourism Association, said: “Cai Rang Floating Market is not just simply a market as it carries unique cultural values, including the way of trading goods and the community lifestyle that has been passed down through generations of southerners. Therefore, Cai Rang Floating Market is a precious asset that must be preserved. Without Cai Rang Floating Market, tourism in Can Tho will be greatly affected.

For decades, Cai Rang Floating Market has been one of the top tourist attractions of not just Can Tho but the Mekong Delta as a whole. Many international publications and tourism sites recommend people visit it to experience the scenes of traders busily exchanging goods from boat to boat and to enjoy a hot meal served right on a boat. However, Cai Rang floating market is yet to be developed on par with its tourism potential and is facing many problems such as the risk of deterioration, poor quality of products and services, unfair competition among small businesses, river pollution, and incomplete embankment construction.

In 2016, Can Tho approved a VND63 billion (US$2.65 million) project to preserve and sustainably develop the Cai Rang Floating Market with 13 items after it was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage. Up to now, many works have been completed, especially social security issues. Cai Rang District People's Committee has created favorable conditions for 170 households to access loans from Vietnam bank for Social Policies to develop tourism, services, and agricultural products for Cai Rang floating market.

The number of visitors to Cai Rang floating market increases by an average of 12-15% per year. Currently, the floating market has from 250 to 300 boats and ships. On average, there are over 200 tourist boats to pick up tourists during peak days. Through the survey, more than 70% of customers booking tours to Can Tho City request to visit Cai Rang Floating Market. Mr. Vuong Cong Khanh, Vice Chairman of the People's Council of Cai Rang district, said: “When the project was built, there was no river embankment. Now there is a river embankment, causing the departure of some agricultural wholesalers because there is no place to anchor their boats. Consequently, small traders will also leave Cai Rang floating market. Therefore, it is necessary to have solutions to exchange goods between vendors on the river and on the shore”. Besides, overlapping state management, cumbersome administrative procedure, and the rapid development of road traffic greatly affect the number of boats on the floating market. Moreover, environmental protection still has many shortcomings.

Leaders of Can Tho City held many seminars to find solutions for preserving Cai Rang Floating Market. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Can Tho City is coordinating with Can Tho City Institute for Socio - Economic Development Studies to complete the project “Conservation and development of Cai Rang floating market for the 2016-2020 period, with a vision to 2030”. In order to support traders to stabilize consumption of agricultural products, find outputs for agricultural products in floating markets and retain commercial lakes, agencies and departments of Can Tho City propose a series of solutions, related to supporting infrastructure such as floating market jetty, public toilets, yachts, parking lots, warehouses, cargo barns; reorganizing the floating market operations, adding wholesale and retail delivery terminals; traffic flow separation; training management personnel and trading skills for traders and coastal traders; to apply e-commerce in the management of floating market operations.

Moreover, Can Tho river embankment works, section passing the floating market area, must be specially designed, convenient for trade, keep the space “on the wharf, under the boat”. Creating conditions for easy transportation, loading and unloading of goods, including aesthetics, can be used for visitors to stand on the shore to admire. It is very important that the construction process does not interrupt floating market operations. Because if there are many obstacles, traders will leave the market and retreat.

Localities and related sectors should find solutions for Cai Rang floating market to be recognized as a traditional craft village in order to have policies to support and loan capital, not only for shopping boats, small services for tourists, but also to pay attention to wholesalers, as this is the main force doing so the floating market. In preserving the culture of the floating market, it is necessary to study and have a way of reproducing the reputation of the sale of goods, the way of reciprocating on the river, and the singing of the amateurs on the commercial boats. The reenactment must be true to the original quality of the old market, mixed in the present day floating market scene.