He Yuhan said she was both happy and disappointed while visiting Detian Waterfall on the China-Vietnam border 11 years after her first visit. Back in 2002, the woman, then 15, traveled from Beijing to admire the breathtaking scenery.

Located in Daxin County in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, it is the biggest cross-border waterfall in Asia.

But the scenic area did not show any improvements over the decade, according to He, who called the local tourism industry poor. It is a situation, experts said, shared to too many scenic spots in China.

He said it took her more than three hours by bus to reach her destination after arriving in Nanning, Guangxi’s regional capital. That’s no better than a decade ago.

Adding to her disappointment was a lack of facilities such as restaurants and good places to rest. The only visible change was retailers selling Vietnamese perfume, she said.

“I could not find a good place to rest after more than two hours of walking, and I had to go back to Daxin County to have supper, which is far from the scenic area,” He said.

A Daxin government official, who did not want to be named, said the infrastructure for the county’s tourism industry is failing to meet the demand due to an underdeveloped economy and a lack of comprehensive management in the sector.

“Many tourists traveling on their own have to rent chartered buses in groups with ridiculously high prices to get to Detian Waterfall,” said the official.

Li Yanqin, associate professor with the School of Management of Minzu University of China, said Daxin’s problems are quite common, with many cities and scenic areas struggling to upgrade their tourism industry.

“Many places in China have not fully developed their tourism resources, which makes them less competitive with other counties and regions in the world,” Li said.

Chaotic market

Tourist numbers are on the increase in China. Official figures showed that 3 billion tourists took in the sights in the country last year and the industry was worth 2.3 trillion yuan (US$376 billion), a year-on-year increase of 12 percent and 17.6 percent, respectively.

The rising numbers of tourists who swarm scenic spots during China’s Golden Week holidays are putting pressure on cities.

What adds fuel to the flames is that unregulated guides, with no official supervision, are rampant in many cities, leading to complaints from visitors.

Also, vandalism by tourists has generated headlines, making other visitors’ experiences unpleasant.

To upgrade the tourism industry in various locations in China, it is necessary to change the situation in which revenue is mainly generated based on ticket sales, said Fu Shuaixiong, a tourism economy expert from Peking University.

“It is urgent to develop tourism-related industries rather than just depending on tickets, a low-level and old way of generating revenue, which is still being practiced in many scenic spots in China,” Fu said.

He said that accommodations, food service and recreation projects should be strengthened so that even if ticket prices are lowered, the various projects will actually attract more tourists and contribute to higher profits, which will in turn create a sound tourism economy.

Environmental threats

Li said many places suffer from pollution and damage to cultural relics, caused by nature and as well as mismanagement. “And in turn the problems are scaring tourists away,” Li said.

In April, two days of gales pushed almost 60 tons of garbage onshore at Silver Beach, dubbed by some as the country’s No. 1 beach, in southern China’s Beihai city in Guangxi.

Alongside natural waste such as seashells, seaweed and dead crabs, rubbish dotted the site, turning the beach into a dump.

Plastic bags, beer bottles, shattered glass and bamboo sticks used for grilling were piled in the middle and eastern areas of the beach because of the southwestern monsoons. Local tourism managers said they were left helpless.

But rubbish is just part of a broader picture. Last year alone, an estimated 1,800 tons of garbage was found on the beach, according to Yin Fengzhang, environmental management director with the Management Office of Beihai Silver Beach Tourist Area.

The local administration committee had garbage collectors cleaning the beach every day. But the rubbish just kept coming, which tarnished the image of the city.

Beihai, however, is only one of many Chinese coastal cities struggling with similar problems, said Chen Changrong, director of the Policy, Regulation and Planning Section of Beihai’s Oceanic Administration Bureau, who boasts 25 years of experience in maritime issues.

The country’s 2012 report on maritime environmental quality shows that floating chunks of rubbish on supervised waters off coastal cities averaged 17 pieces per kilometer in 2011, and the number more than doubled to 37 in 2012.

Brand building

Fu added that it is essential for cities to build up their brands, which he calls the “core” and the “soul” needed to take the industry to the next level.

Many places in China, such as southwestern Yunnan and northern Shanxi provinces, have already realized the importance of having a unique brand and have begun brand-building, which includes image, competitiveness, culture and scenic attractions, Fu said, adding that other provinces and regions should follow suit.

“It will take joint efforts of various departments to realize resource maximization and promotion, which will enhance the whole image of the tourism industry and therefore attract more visitors,” he said.

Tourism law

The fast-growing but flawed industry prompted the country to promulgate a tourism law.

The nation’s first tourism law, implemented on October 1, is helping upgrade the industry, rectifying unruly behavior among both agencies and tourists. The law protects the rights of tourists and enforces safety measures at scenic sites.

Li Yanqin said many agencies had promised to get rid of such practices as forced shopping and receiving kickbacks.

“With clear direction regarding tourists, tourism agencies as well as scenic areas, the law is definitely helping the sound development of the industry in China,” Li said.