China plans to install, upgrade 64,000 toilets at tourist sites

BEIJING - China plans to install or upgrade 64,000 toilets at tourist destinations from 2018 to 2020 in an effort to remove a major nuisance for travelers and develop domestic tourism.

The three-year project should be able to provide good, clean toilets that are reasonably distributed and effectively managed, according to an action plan released by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) Sunday.

It came on the heels of a three-year "toilet revolution" launched in 2015, which saw over 20 billion yuan (about $3 billion) invested in installing or renovating 68,000 toilets at tourist sites, exceeding the target of 57,000 toilets.

Li Jinzao, head of the CNTA, said the "toilet revolution" is an imperative for upgrading tourism.

"Compared with the rapid growth of the tourism industry and people's increasing demand for better lives, the development [of toilets] is unbalanced and inadequate. Another three-year program is urgently needed," Li said.

For the coming three years, authorities aim to add 47,000 toilets and renovate 17,000, according to the plan.

Toilets at China's tourist sites have a bad reputation, with visitors often angered by insufficient toilets, unhygienic conditions and lack of sanitation workers.