50,916 public toilets

have been built or renovated in the past two years.

He Zhongyou, vice-governor of Guangdong, a major tourist destination, said the province had constructed or reconstructed 3,101 toilets so far.

“The growth and improvement in facilities has helped the province further raise its reputation among tourists from home and abroad as well as greatly benefited residents,” he said.

Yan Jianguo, general manager of China Everbright Real Estate, said his company is in talks with the governments of several provinces to build toilets and service centers at major scenic spots and places with large flows of people.

The company has been operating more than 30 such facilities at the Lushan Scenic Spot as well as other locations in Shandong since November.

“The toilets are free to tourists and local residents, but we earn a profit from selling snacks, tissues, coffee, tea and other beverages at the service centers, which are similar to those along expressways,” Yan said.

“There’s great potential for toilet construction. China is a big country for tourism and the industry is enjoying rapid growth, but the toilet sector is a bottleneck,” he said. “Tourists may not have to visit the restaurants and hotels at scenic spots, but most will at some point use the toilet.”

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