Major markets in Ho Chi Minh City are now bustling and filled with visitors again, indicating a positive sign of recovery following a serious COVID-19 outbreak.

On Saturday evening, the 300-meter-long food area of the Cambodian Market in District 10 was crowded with people, according to the observation of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters.

With various eateries offering many types of street food at fair prices, the place is a popular weekend hangout spot for young residents and one of the must-visit destinations for tourists.

Nguyen Thi Thanh, a 60-year-old overseas Vietnamese, said she came to the market to try the delicious food.

Being on her first trip back to Vietnam after two and a half years, Thanh also spent millions of dong (VND1 million = US$43) on dried seafood to gift her friends and family in the U.S..

Thanh Mai, who has run a diner at the market for decades, said that the number of visitors to the venue has gradually increased after the pandemic subsided.

Many overseas Vietnamese have been come to the market in the past two weeks, she continued.

Mai added she and her family have decided to work 'extra shifts' to serve the large number of diners on weekends.

At Ben Thanh Market in District 1, many stalls have reopened following a long shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thuy, a sweep soup vendor at the venue, said her sales have gone up over the past two weeks, adding that she was able to serve a lot of local customers and overseas Vietnamese during the recent holidays.

Visitors to Ben Thanh Market have increased drastically in the last fortnight, Le Minh Hiep, deputy head of the management board, stated, noting that the market welcomed up to 3,000 people a day during the holiday weekend marking Reunification Day (April 30) and International Workers’ Day (May 1).

More than 700 stalls, accounting for 60 percent of the total number of stalls at the market, have reopened, Hiep elaborated.

Instead of opening only during the day, many traders have recently decided to work until 10:00 pm to service tourists, as well as run online shops to boost their sales.

The number of visitors is expected to further soar during the coming tourist season in June and July, he said.

Other markets including Ba Chieu in Binh Thanh District, Hanh Thong Tay in Go Vap District, and Tan Dinh in District 1 have also recovered quite well with many merchants resuming their operations and opening until late at night.

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