The seafood markets in Cua Lo are bustling with tourists.

Tourists buy seafood at Nghi Thuy fish market. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Early in the morning, Nghi Thuy fish market (Nghi Thuy ward) is bustling with tourists coming to experience the scene of "boats on the docks and ships on the water," as fishing boats, after days of fishing, dock. Fresh seafood is immediately transported ashore. Fish, shrimp, squid, crabs, and other shellfish, still incredibly fresh, are brought to the market by the women and mothers and small traders. Tourists can freely choose Cua Lo seafood to take back to restaurants or hotels for cooking or to pack and take home as gifts.

Ms. Nguyen Tu Trinh, a tourist from Hanoi, said: “Compared to other coastal areas, Cua Lo seafood is still the best. Therefore, whenever we visit Cua Lo, my group and I always buy seafood to bring back as gifts for relatives and friends. Among them, mackerel is our top choice.”

Fresh seafood is transferred from the boats to the dock to serve tourists. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Besides fresh seafood, various types of fish cakes, such as squid cakes, shrimp cakes, and mackerel cakes, are also popular purchases among tourists. Right at the entrance to the fish market, Ms. Hoa Thi Thao's squid cake stall is bustling with customers. Ms. Thao said: "Since the beginning of April, Cua Lo has seen a surge in tourists, making business more favorable. During the recent holidays, the number of customers ordering squid cakes, shrimp cakes, and mackerel cakes increased dramatically. On some days, I sold up to 100 kilograms of various types of fish cakes to tourists. The prices of the fish cakes are basically stable and haven't increased compared to before."

The squid patties stall is very popular. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Due to the large number of seafood buyers, related services such as packaging, grilling fish, electric cart services, selling styrofoam boxes, and shaved ice are also very popular. Taking advantage of the holiday and not having to go to school, many students are helping their parents pack seafood to earn extra income.

Mr. Nguyen Cuong, Head of the Nghi Thuy Fish Market Management Board, said: “To serve tourists during the tourist season, especially during holidays, we have instructed traders at the market to display prices, weigh accurately, avoid soliciting customers, and not arbitrarily raise prices. Furthermore, food safety and hygiene are also a priority for the traders. Therefore, customers can shop with peace of mind, without worrying about being overcharged.”

The service of packing seafood in styrofoam boxes is also doing very well. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Many tourists, reluctant to wake up early to go to the pier, choose Cua Lo seafood market (Thu Thuy ward) to experience and buy various seafood as souvenirs. The seafood market is busiest between 7 and 9 am every day. The seafood sold at the market consists of products from the day's fishing trips of local fishermen. There's squid caught and boiled by fishermen in Nghi Hai ward; fresh, natural seafood such as squid, crabs, and other shellfish caught near the shore; and farmed seafood such as conch, tiger prawns, grouper, and sea bass from people in Nghi Tan, Nghi Thiet, and Nghi Quang wards.

According to the survey, the prices of seafood at the market have increased slightly compared to the low tourist season. Squid ranges from 450,000-600,000 VND/kg, boiled sea squid from 400,000-500,000 VND/kg, sea shrimp from 400,000-500,000 VND/kg, and mackerel from 180,000-250,000 VND/kg...

Cua Lo seafood market offers a wide variety of mackerel in different sizes and weights. Photo: Thanh Phuc

At Hom Market (Nghi Thuy ward), traders have also prepared large quantities of dried seafood and traditional village products such as shrimp paste, anchovy paste, fermented fish sauce, and dried shrimp paste to serve tourists.

Besides traditional markets, during these days, seafood processing and fish sauce production villages in Cua Lo are also bustling with tourists visiting and shopping. To attract tourists, localities are not only improving infrastructure, ensuring environmental hygiene, and enhancing product quality, but also focusing on improving product designs and building display and introduction points to attract tourists.

Traditional seafood processing villages are also busy serving tourists. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Mr. Tran Duc Thuong, Director of Hai Giang Fish Sauce Village Cooperative (Nghi Hai Ward), said: “Tourists often buy high-protein fish sauce, bottled in 500ml glass bottles, packaged in attractive paper bags. Understanding customer preferences, we offer a variety of designs to meet their needs. At the same time, visitors to the village can experience some of the traditional fish sauce processing steps; take souvenir photos and visit the exhibition booths.”

From the holiday period until the end of July, considered the peak of the tourist season, visitors come to Cua Lo not only to relax and swim in the sea but also to enjoy seafood specialties, buy seafood and handicraft products as souvenirs.

Cua Lo seafood is very popular with tourists because of its unique freshness and delicious taste that cannot be found anywhere else. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Recognizing that this is the "channel" for spreading and promoting the brand of seafood and handicraft products in Cua Lo, the town has issued official documents and notices right from the start of the tourist season regarding ensuring food safety and hygiene, price listing, and maintaining security and order at markets to serve the needs of tourists for sightseeing, experiencing, and shopping.