Da Nang steps up crackdown on street vendors, beggars who bother tourists

On Thursday, the municipal Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism announced that it is working closely with local agencies to inspect and address incidents of hawkers and panhandlers soliciting or harassing tourists.

Reports indicate that street vending takes place at shopping areas near Han Market and Da Nang Cathedral, as well as along Tran Phu and Bach Dang Streets.

Vendors roam these areas with pushcarts and shoulder poles, persistently urging tourists to buy their goods even after repeated refusals.

Along Tran Hung Dao Street, vendors are frequently positioned at entrances.

When tourists walk by, these vendors often chase after them, begging or pressuring them to purchase items, which can make visitors feel uncomfortable.

Similar scenes are sighted along Hoang Sa Street, where tourists are frequently disturbed in three main hotspots: the parking lot south of Linh Ung Pagoda, the viewing area near the Intercontinental Hotel, and the parking zone on Son Tra Peninsula.

A departmental representative explained their tactics: street vendors use motorbikes and pickup trucks to transport goods to tourist-heavy areas. 

When they detect patrols, they quickly move to another location to avoid them before returning later.

In hotel and restaurant neighborhoods such as Vo Nguyen Giap, Ha Bong, and Ho Nghinh Streets, street vending and begging have also become widespread.

The busiest hawker hubs are beaches 1, 2, and 3 at East Sea Park. Here, vendors sell a range of items—fruit, fried fish balls, dumplings, keychains, sunglasses, and more—and some even obstruct tourists’ paths, pressuring them to buy.

It is noteworthy that Da Nang authorities have discovered that street vendors are not limited to the elderly and children, but also include university students and even foreigners vending wooden handicrafts along key streets such as Nguyen Van Thoai and Nguyen Tat Thanh.

Confronted with this complex issue of begging and aggressive street vending, long a challenge for the city’s tourism image, the Da Nang administration issued an official directive in March 2025.

That directive specifically called on relevant agencies to coordinate efforts to restore security, maintain public order, and safeguard the reputation of Da Nang as a tourist destination.

Following the directive, local authorities launched intensive campaigns and stationed enforcement teams to address beggars and street vendors who harass tourists.

Initially, these efforts led to a temporary decrease in urban disorder and solicitation.

However, reports now indicate that such behaviors have begun to re-emerge, prompting renewed calls from the department for stronger joint actions across city agencies.

In addition to continuing patrols and enforcement, the department advises that tourists avoid purchasing unverified goods or services from street vendors and refrain from giving money or gifts to beggars.