According to the Anhui Provincial Tourism Bureau, environment renovation work for areas surrounding scenic spots in the province will be carried out in the next three years. This implies a shift of focus in Anhui tourism from scenic area development to its joint development with related communities.

The renovation work will mainly focus on spots at the 4A level or above. Renovation will take place in three phases. In the first concentrated phase, the relevant department will target the poor environment and waste pollution. Then work will expand to villages and counties surrounding the spots. Finally, a long-term mechanism to help standardization and comprehensive improvement will be created.

Details of the renovation include taking the surrounding environment into the criteria of AAAA or above level spots. A failure to pass an annual assessment of the environment will lead to a warning. Three failures will lead to a cancellation or demotion in level. The surrounding environment will also be included in county and town appraisals.

Edited by Michael Thai, Huang Pei