As part of its commitment to sustainable development, Accor's staff and suppliers are helping Plan China and the Yanqing County Government in their work to implement an eco-tourism program, increasing family income for villagers in Yanqing and improving the living conditions of Yanqing people.
Starting in the 1990's, Yanqing eco-tourism has developed to include 15 towns, 43 villages, 1159 houses and 4000 villagers. The area includes an unspoiled natural environment, including the Badaling Great Wall, Long Qing Gorge, Kang Xi grassland, Song Mountain, Yu Du Mountain, and numerous wild animal areas.
With the rapid development of eco-tourism, more villagers are keen on professional management and operations to meet the needs and satisfaction of visitors, and this is why Accor and Plan have taken initiatives to help the Yanqing people.
After the first review of Yanqing took place in March 2006, Accor has already implemented many actions within the past three months. Accor senior staff conducted 3 training sessions for 200 villagers, covering topics such as hygiene and housekeeping. The hotel company also arranged advertisements in various media to create awareness about the Yanqing eco-tourism project.
Other tasks still to be accomplished include establishing a bilingual website to promote Yanqing eco-tourism and accommodation improvements for Xiang Tun village.
During the 2006 Labor Day holiday, Yanqing County received 126,000 tourists (53.4% increase over last year) and the gross revenue reached RMB4,119,800 (58.9% increase over last year).
