China: 'Toilet Revolution' to Boost Tourism

(Baonghean.vn) - China said it will increase investment in the tourism sector, through plans to prioritize the development of belt areas and upgrade public toilets, to increase the contribution of the smokeless industry to economic growth.

A male folk artist (right) in traditional Chinese female costume emerges from a portable toilet before a performance at the Spring Fair in Beijing, China February 14, 2013. Photo: Reuters.

Announcing a new plan for the tourism industry, China affirmed its investment target of 2 trillion yuan (equivalent to 290 billion USD) in the period of 2016-2020, meaning the country's direct investment in tourism will grow by more than 14%/year.

Old industrial and resource-dependent cities, especially in northern China, will be encouraged to develop tourism. Some cities running out of coal are already working to turn mine sites into parks.

The plan also promises a “toilet revolution”, spurred by widespread complaints about the cleanliness of toilets at China’s tourist sites, and says it will aim to build or renovate about 100,000 public toilets between now and 2020.

China's cabinet believes the investment will help its emerging tourism industry account for about 12% of annual economic growth by 2020, up from 10.8% in 2015.

The government also forecasts that by 2020, there will be 6.4 million domestic tourists each year, up from 4 million in 2015. Meanwhile, the number of foreign tourists is expected to increase to 150 million compared to 134 million last year.

China is prioritizing the development and expansion of service industries to limit the impact of persistently low global demand for its exports, according to analysts.

Phu Binh

(According to Reuters)