GB/T 26362-2024Specification for operation management of national ecotourism attractions (English PDF)

1 Scope

This document lays down the requirements for national ecotourism attractions with respect to resources, environment, products, services, facilities, functions and management.

This document applies to areas in which tourism activities are carried out on the basis of natural ecological environments of every kind and of the human ecosystems that live alongside them.

3 Terms and definitions

3.1 ecotourism - a way of travelling that takes sustainable development as its idea, harmony between people and nature as its rule and protection of the ecological environment as its precondition, and that relies on a sound natural ecological environment and the human ecosystem living alongside it to offer ecological experience, ecological understanding and ecological education while giving pleasure of body and mind.

3.2 ecotourism resource - all those things and elements within a natural ecological environment and the human ecosystem living alongside it that can attract tourists, can be developed and used for ecotourism, and can produce economic, social, environmental and cultural benefits.

3.3 ecotourism product - the combination of tourist attractions and services offered to tourists through the development and use of ecotourism resources.

3.4 ecotourism attraction - an area with a clearly defined spatial extent, resting on ecotourism resources, whose main function is ecotourism.

3.5 national ecotourism attraction - an ecotourism attraction that reflects the advanced level of ecotourism in the country and plays a demonstrating and leading role in the development of ecotourism nationwide.

3.6 clean energy - energy that emits no pollutants and is friendly to the environment during its production and during the consumption of its products.

3.7 green purchasing - a way of purchasing that selects materials such as products of low pollution, products that can be recycled, resources that are renewable and products of low energy consumption.

3.8 habitat - the sum of the ecological environmental factors of a particular site for an individual organism, a population or a community. Note: it includes landform, topography, climate, soil and hydrology.

4 Ecotourism resources

4.1 Scale. A national ecotourism attraction should possess ecotourism resources that are large in volume or many in the number of types.

4.2.1 The ecotourism resources shall be strongly combinable in their types and the landscape shall be harmonious.

4.2.2 Animal and plant resources shall be rich, vegetation shall be in good condition, and habitat types should be numerous.

4.3.1 The ecosystem shall be strongly native. Ancient and famous trees and native local plant communities shall be well protected; harmful alien species shall not be introduced, and biological invasion shall be prevented.

4.3.2 The ecological environment shall be kept in its original state and the native habitats of the species shall be intact.

4.3.3 The human ecosystem shall be strongly native.

4.4.1 The resource bodies shall be complete and shall keep their natural form and structure.

4.4.2 The ecosystem shall be complete, and the abiotic factors such as sunlight, air, water, soil, temperature and humidity and the ecological processes shall be in overall harmony.

4.4.3 The cultural landscape shall be kept complete.

4.5.1 The conservation value of the biodiversity should be high, with rare and endangered species present.

4.5.2 The landscape within the area shall have high aesthetic, scientific research or cultural value.

4.5.3 Some of the resources shall be typical, representative and scarce, and shall have a considerable influence in society.

4.5.4 The ecological resources shall be of high recreational value and shall be able to provide a sound basis for the development of ecotourism.

4.6.1 The ecotourism resources shall have distinct characteristics and be recognisable.

4.6.2 The ecotourism resources shall be well known and understood by the public within a certain range.

4.6.3 The ecotourism resources should be well accepted by the market and should enjoy a high level of public goodwill and trust.

5 Ecological environment and culture

5.1.1 Surface water shall be clear and shall reach or exceed class III water quality of GB 3838; seawater quality shall reach or exceed class two water quality of GB 3097.

5.1.2 Air quality shall reach grade one of GB 3095 all the year round.

5.1.3 The soil environmental quality grade in the areas of visitor activity shall reach the class one standard of GB 36600.

5.1.4 The noise at the accommodation and reception facilities within the area shall meet the class 1 standard of GB 3096, less than 55 dB by day and less than 45 dB by night.

5.1.5 The quality of the light environment shall reach the three-star standard of GB/T 12454.

5.1.6 Greenhouse gas emissions should be kept within a reasonable range by the combined use of low-carbon technology, low-carbon management and increased carbon sinks.

5.1.7 Forest cover shall be kept at a high level and measures shall be laid down for the protection of primary forest and natural secondary forest.

5.1.8 Grassland shall be beautiful in landscape, and its protection and rational use shall be strengthened.

5.1.9 Rocks and caves shall be of high viewing value and shall be kept in their original state.

5.1.10 The elements of the ecosystem shall be in organic harmony and shall be kept in their natural state.

5.2.1 There shall have been no serious event of destruction of the ecological environment within the area in the last three years.

5.2.2 Ecological environments already damaged within the area shall be restored and kept in harmony with the surrounding environment and landscape.

5.2.3 Sewage, waste oil and waste gas shall not be discharged and refuse shall not be dumped in any form directly; tourist boats in operation shall be equipped with the necessary environmental protection facilities and fitted with sewage and waste oil recovery and treatment facilities.

5.2.4 There shall be no excessive application of chemical fertilizer, pesticides or insecticides within the area. Where there is a large-scale outbreak of pests or disease and human intervention is needed, it should be carried out under the guidance of specialists in the ecological field.

5.2.5 There shall be no production activity within the area having a considerable effect on the ecological environment, and no unplanned felling of timber or other destruction of vegetation.

5.2.6 A biodiversity protection and management plan shall be drawn up and biodiversity shall be included in the monitoring. A national ecotourism attraction should have dedicated biodiversity protection staff and should engage consulting specialists.

5.2.7 Survey, recording and monitoring work shall be carried out within the area on the species, the state of the populations, the dynamic distribution and the habitats of the wild animals and plants under national and provincial protection; there shall be a spatial layout plan of wildlife corridors, and artificial corridors shall be provided at suitable places.

5.2.8 For man-made facilities within wildlife habitat areas, night lighting and noise shall be controlled, the natural darkness of the sky shall be kept, and disturbance of wildlife shall be avoided.

5.2.9 Special protection plans shall be drawn up for rare and endangered species, and the species protection measures shall be effective.

5.2.10 There shall be no hunting of wild animals or destruction of the living environment of wild animals within the area, and wildlife products shall not be sold. In connection with greening and other ecological construction projects, the living environment of protected species may be designed for enlargement into suitable habitat.

5.2.11 Before construction work within the area, an environmental impact assessment and a social impact assessment shall be carried out; pollution treatment facilities shall be designed, built and brought into use at the same time as the main works.

5.2.12 An environmental management plan for the national ecotourism attraction shall be drawn up and the ecological environment shall be monitored continuously without interruption. Feedback control management shall be applied according to the monitoring results; when the monitoring results exceed the relevant ecological environment standards, treatment and restoration measures shall be applied until the standards are met.

5.2.13 The ecological environmental carrying capacity of the national ecotourism attraction shall be determined reasonably and the limiting capacity balanced; management measures may be taken to control the manner, extent and routes of visitor activity, so as to keep the quality of the ecological environment stable and to prevent it deteriorating.

5.2.14 For special natural landscapes, heritage, cultural relics and ancient buildings there shall be sufficient funds for protection and maintenance, dedicated staff responsible for management, clear post responsibilities and effective protection measures.

5.2.15 The surrounding environment and landscape should be in harmony with the national ecotourism attraction.

5.3.1.1 Renewable resources should be used.

5.3.1.2 The intensive use of renewable resources should be at a high level, and greenhouse gas emissions should be low or zero.

5.3.1.3 Energy shall be saved and used rationally, the fuel mix shall be reasonable, and the rate of use of clean and renewable energy should be high.

5.3.1.4 Waste materials should have a high rate of recovery and reuse.

5.3.2.1 The intensity of land use should be high; newly added construction land shall have been obtained through lawful and compliant procedures, and the scale of development shall be strictly controlled.

5.3.2.2 The topography and landform within the area shall be kept intact. There shall be no mining, quarrying, sand extraction, earth taking or other activity that changes the topography and landform.

5.3.3.1 Water resources shall be used rationally.

5.3.3.2 Water conservation forest shall be planted at the water source area and water source protection shall be carried out. Drinking water shall comply with GB 5749.

5.3.3.3 Groundwater shall be of good quality and the scale of use shall be reasonable. Abstraction of hot springs and groundwater shall not exceed the natural recharge capacity.

5.3.3.4 The small number of small hydropower projects that have to be provided shall not affect the ecological flow downstream.

5.3.3.5 Reception facilities shall use water-saving design and shall raise the rate of reuse of reclaimed water.

5.3.3.6 In areas where the water supply is limited, water resources should be used in a graded circulating manner.

5.3.4.1 The intensity of resource use within the area shall be controlled in a graded manner, the zoning shall be reasonable and the functions clear. Starting from the overall harmony and optimum use of the natural landscape, functional units and their combinations shall be determined and rational ways of use selected so that, under the principle that protection comes first, the multi-level needs of ecotourists are met.

5.3.4.2 Zoning should include an aesthetic assessment of the landscape resources and an assessment of landscape sensitivity. Where there are protected species within the area, measures shall be taken to protect their habitats and food sources.

5.3.4.3 Tourism-related construction facilities shall be sited away from areas of low ecological sensitivity or outside the area, and shall be of moderate scale.

5.4.1 A working plan for the protection and transmission of traditional culture and intangible culture shall be drawn up, and there should be a reasonable financial input.

5.4.2 The layout of buildings should be reasonable and their combined functions optimized; they shall be in harmony with the cultural atmosphere, the landscape and the natural environment inside and outside the area, without obvious visual pollution, and shall use local materials and environmentally sound materials.

5.4.3 The protection of the human ecosystem shall be strengthened, and the forms of expression and the cultural spaces of natural culture, historical culture and ethnic and folk culture shall be preserved complete.

6 Ecotourism products and services

6.1.1.1 The ecotourism products designed and developed shall be ecological in character, drawn from nature, based on the local environment and containing ecological knowledge.

6.1.1.2 Ecotourism products shall be environmentally friendly in nature.

6.1.2.1 There should be a rich and multi-level range of ecotourism products meeting the demands of different types of tourism market.

6.1.2.2 Ways of experiencing ecotourism products that are based on ecotourism resources and combined with new technology should be adopted.

6.1.3.1 Ecotourism products shall be developed on the basis of the ecotourism resources, in a differentiated, refined and branded manner.

6.1.3.2 Ecotourism products shall reflect the characteristics of the local human ecosystem.

6.2.1.1 Services with ecotourism characteristics shall be provided, and the process of service shall embody the idea of ecotourism.

6.2.1.2 Services that reflect the characteristics of the local natural and human ecosystems shall be provided.

6.2.2.1 A system and a plan for training the skills of ecotourism service staff shall be drawn up and training bodies and personnel provided. There shall be evaluation of training performance and measures for improvement.

6.2.2.2 Staff shall be able to give visitors accurate ecological interpretation; the service of the tour guides shall comply with GB/T 15971, and they shall master the methods of reducing and preventing negative effects on the tourism environment.

6.2.2.3 Special ecotourism activities such as high zip lines, low-altitude sightseeing and outdoor rock climbing shall be staffed by qualified service personnel.

6.2.3.1 A volunteer service station shall be provided.

6.2.3.2 There should be regular environmental protection volunteer public service activities, and public service organizations or individuals should be encouraged to take part in public service work.

7 Infrastructure and service facilities

7.1.1 Roads outside the area shall have good accessibility.

7.1.2 Roads within the area should serve the functions of traffic passage, ecological protection and landscape viewing. The layout of the roads should be chosen in areas where ecological restoration is strong; the design of the roads shall make use of existing passages, and ecological materials and ecological road surfaces should be used.

7.1.3 Vehicles of low energy consumption, low emissions and clean energy shall be chosen within the area according to conditions. Vehicles reflecting the cultural character of the national ecotourism attraction may be provided, and non-motorized means such as bicycles and walking shall be encouraged.

7.1.4 Ecological car parks shall be provided within the area or nearby; the number of parking spaces shall be set according to the ecological carrying capacity, management measures shall be put into effect, and a certain proportion of charging equipment shall be provided. The construction of the car park shall be in harmony with the landscape environment.

7.1.5 Traffic signs within the area shall comply with GB 5768.2.

7.2 Accommodation facilities shall be laid out in a concentrated manner, be reasonable in structure, appropriate in volume and distinctly ecological in character; the construction and operation of tourist hotels or tourist homestays shall comply with LB/T 007.

7.3.1 Catering facilities shall be reasonably laid out, and the business management of catering enterprises within the area shall comply with GB/T 40042.

7.3.2 Distinctive, branded and varied catering shall be provided. Seasonal local ingredients should be used, and there shall be no ingredients from wild animals.

7.3.3 Food shall not be wasted, and reminder signs such as clean plate campaign notices should be displayed.

7.4.1 Shopping places selling local specialities, environmentally friendly goods or cultural and creative products shall be provided.

7.4.2 A dedicated management body shall be provided to manage the shopping places and the people working in them.

7.5.1 Healthy entertainment activities may be carried out to a moderate degree according to local characteristics.

7.5.2 The siting of entertainment grounds shall not damage the local ecological environment and shall be in harmony with the surroundings. The content of the projects shall respect local customs and avoid causing resentment among local residents.

7.6 The location of the visitor centre should be reasonable and its appearance should be in harmony with the landscape environment; its facilities and service items shall comply with GB/T 31383.

7.7 Green energy facilities using solar, wind or biomass energy should be used; the facilities shall not affect the quality of the landscape, and there shall be facilities and measures for the proper treatment of energy-related pollution.

7.8 Water supply and drainage pipes should be buried underground and the pipes kept clear.

7.9.1 Convenient postal service may be provided.

7.9.2 Wireless communication towers shall be erected in reasonable positions, shall not affect the quality of the landscape and shall be in harmony with the landscape of the national ecotourism attraction.

7.9.3 The visiting areas open to the public shall be covered by the communication network throughout, with good mobile phone signal.

7.10 A certain number of service facilities for people with special needs shall be provided; they shall be in conspicuous positions and easy to use.

8 Safety and environmental sanitation

8.1.1 A safety management body shall be provided, and there shall be a sound system of safety management and safeguards.

8.1.2 There shall be a system for dealing with the safety of ecotourism activities during peak periods and special periods.

8.1.3 Possible safety risks shall be assessed in advance and emergency response plans drawn up; the archive records of accident handling shall be complete and accurate.

8.1.4 Emergency drills shall be held regularly.

8.2 Attention shall be paid to the building of the public environment; social order shall be stable, public security good and the attitude of residents towards visitors friendly.

8.3.1 A dedicated body shall be provided and staffed with a reasonable number of people.

8.3.2 Staff in every working post shall hold the required certificate and shall be thoroughly familiar with the safe operating rules.

8.4.1 The safeguards for special sightseeing installations and equipment shall be sound and effective.

8.4.2 Vehicles and the installations and equipment for sightseeing and entertainment shall be in good condition, should be overhauled periodically, and shall not be kept in service beyond their life.

8.4.3 Fire-fighting, anti-theft and first-aid equipment shall be complete, in good condition and effective.

8.4.4 Emergency call equipment should be provided.

8.5.1 Safety explanations or notices shall be given in Chinese and in a foreign language at the same time, with graphic display, placed in conspicuous positions, with attention paid to the effect actually achieved.

8.5.2 Dangerous sections within the area shall be clearly marked, the protective facilities shall be effective, and the safety warning signs shall comply with GB 2894.

8.6.1 An emergency rescue mechanism shall be set up and the emergency rescue telephone numbers published; a certain number of one-touch rescue devices shall be provided so that visitors can easily use the assistance request facilities, and the assistance signals sent by visitors can be answered and dealt with in good time.

8.6.2 A medical body shall be established and the necessary medical facilities, medical staff and commonly used medicines provided; the first-aid facilities shall be complete.

8.6.3 A designated partner hospital may be established.

8.7.1 All places of every kind shall meet the sanitary standards specified in GB/T 26353.

8.7.2 Smoking and non-smoking areas shall be separated; the smoking areas shall be well ventilated, shall be equipped with fire-fighting equipment and shall be properly managed.

8.8.1 Refuse shall be swept and removed promptly, with no exposure, overflow or spillage, and shall be covered or enclosed during removal.

8.8.2 The principle of minimizing waste shall be followed, and measures such as reduced discharge and recovery and reuse should be applied to waste.

8.8.3 Refuse collection bins shall be reasonably laid out, uniformly marked, clean in appearance and in harmony with the environment, and shall be cleaned and disinfected promptly.

8.8.4 Refuse cleaning tools shall be complete, presentable and clean, and in harmony with the landscape and the environment.

8.8.5 Refuse shall be collected separately and treated in a harmless manner. The rate of harmless treatment of domestic refuse in the areas where reception and service facilities are concentrated shall reach 100 %.

8.8.6 Environmentally sound technology may be used for refuse treatment so as to achieve the integrated use of refuse and the minimum of pollution; composting technology for organic waste should be promoted at small community reception points.

8.8.7 Hazardous waste such as waste batteries and waste oil shall be collected separately.

8.9.1 Sewage shall be collected by a pipe network, treated centrally, with rainwater and sewage separated.

8.9.2 Areas where tourist service facilities are concentrated shall be equipped with sewage treatment facilities, and the treatment result shall meet the national and local water pollutant discharge standards.

8.10.1 The sanitary conditions of kitchens and food shall be good.

8.10.2 Catering places shall meet the sanitary standards specified in GB 37487, GB 37488 and GB 37489.1.

8.11.1 Toilets shall be reasonably laid out and sufficient in number, and shall meet the class II quality requirements of GB/T 18973.

8.11.2 The sanitary installations and equipment of the toilets shall be complete and in good condition; the toilets shall be clean inside and free from odour, the sanitary ware shall be clean and free from dirt and blockage, and the cleaning tools shall be neatly arranged and not left in the open.

8.11.3 Family toilet rooms and toilet places for people with disabilities shall be provided, and the ratio of men's to women's places shall be reasonable.

8.11.4 Outside the areas where service and reception facilities are concentrated, waterless ecological toilets should be used.

9 Ecological education and brand communication

9.1 Science popularization and publicity places such as an interpretation centre, a museum or a science education base, with complete functions and interactive experience, shall be built.

9.2.1 Publicity materials aimed at the public, such as books, popular science reading matter and video material, shall be produced, with prominent features of ecological education and guidance.

9.2.2 An interactive platform should be built for computers and mobile devices, using the internet to spread ecological knowledge.

9.2.3 New technology should be used to the full to renew the ways, tools and carriers of science popularization. Electronic guiding tools incorporating ecological education content may be provided for a charge.

9.2.4 The design and production of ecological education material shall reflect the idea of environmental protection; excessive packaging and the pursuit of luxury should be avoided, and paperless publicity means such as recycled paper printed matter, discs and the internet should be used.

9.2.5 Basic natural and cultural material about the area should be collected and organized to support ecological education.

9.3.1 There shall be a plan for the content and manner of ecological education. An interpretation system shall be established, offering interpretation services rich in content and varied in form. Various opportunities and ways of ecological education should be offered so that the information is conveyed effectively.

9.3.2 The content of the ecological education shall be scientifically accurate, easy to understand, lively and interesting; the explanation of ecological knowledge shall be reinforced, and the interpretation of local cultural information shall be clear and correct.

9.3.3 In preparing the content of the ecological education, the opinions of local ecological specialists, cultural scholars and environmental protection volunteers or groups shall be fully taken into account.

9.3.4 Guides and interpreters shall have received special training and shall hold the required certificate; they shall be able to use language and behaviour flexibly to convey the ideas, knowledge and skills of ecological culture and biodiversity protection.

9.3.5 A national ecotourism attraction where ethnic minorities live should have guides or interpreters from those minorities; one with visitors from abroad should have a suitable number of foreign language guides or interpreters.

9.3.6 A system of identification signs and boards shall be provided for ancient and famous trees, important wild animals and plants and the main scenic spots.

9.3.7 The various guiding signs shall comply with GB/T 10001.1, shall be reasonably placed and shall be in harmony with the environment.

9.4.1.1 Education activities for local community residents should be carried out; the content should include ecotourism and local cultural knowledge.

9.4.1.2 Ecological education shall be included in the teaching practice plans of the primary and secondary schools of the local community, and local young people should be organized to go to the national ecotourism attraction to take part in ecological education.

9.4.2 Ecological education activities for visitors shall be carried out and publicity activities relating to ecological culture held.

9.4.3 The national ecotourism attraction shall hold ecological education and training activities for operators and managers at regular intervals.

9.5.1.1 The brand image shall be recognisable and distinctive, and shall differ markedly from that of other tourist areas.

9.5.1.2 The brand image shall reflect awareness of ecological protection.

9.5.1.3 The brand should have influence nationwide or even worldwide.

9.5.1.4 Visitors shall be highly satisfied with the brand.

9.5.2.1 The design and production of publicity material shall bring out the idea of environmental protection, and the content of the publicity should embody the idea of ecological civilization.

9.5.2.2 The publicity shall explain the rights and duties of visitors in detail and provide accurate and responsible information.

10 Community participation

10.1.1 The management department of the national ecotourism attraction shall have a body or staff responsible for coordinating relations with the community.

10.1.2 The national ecotourism attraction shall put into effect a plan or programme of ecotourism participation that carries the community forward with it.

10.1.3 The national ecotourism attraction shall provide channels through which the community can express its views; there shall be archive records of the community's views, opinions shall be given on them, and the rate of reply and settlement shall reach 100 %.

10.2.1 Other things being equal, the national ecotourism attraction shall give priority to community residents in offering business and employment opportunities.

10.2.2 The national ecotourism attraction shall use local products and services and shall gradually raise the share of local purchasing.

10.2.3 The community should take part in decision making in various forms, such as meetings, project hearings and participation in the preparation of plans.

10.2.4 The national ecotourism attraction should support local farming households in developing an environmentally friendly courtyard economy suited to local conditions.

10.3.1 The national ecotourism attraction shall hold training at regular intervals for community residents to raise their ecotourism skills.

10.3.2 The national ecotourism attraction should cooperate with the community in promoting research results.

10.3.3 The national ecotourism attraction shall support the development of community organizations connected with ecotourism.

10.3.4 The national ecotourism attraction shall support the participation of the community in the construction and the operation and management of ecotourism.

10.3.5 The community shall raise the quality of its service products and its farm produce.

10.4.1 The small towns and villages around the national ecotourism attraction should be encouraged to develop tourism.

10.4.2 The construction of dwellings and streets around the national ecotourism attraction shall not damage the natural landscape.

11 Integrated management

11.1.1 The management body of the national ecotourism attraction shall be reasonably set up, the number of management staff shall be reasonable, and the division of post responsibilities shall be clear.

11.1.2 The national ecotourism attraction shall have a fairly complete system, covering spatial control, visitor management (including limited-number booking), complaint handling, responsible persons, local coordination and deliberation, emergency management and other matters.

11.1.3 The national ecotourism attraction shall keep an archive of visitor complaints and opinions, and complaint handling shall comply with LB/T 063.

11.2.1 A master plan for the national ecotourism attraction shall be drawn up and strictly carried out.

11.2.2 The plan shall follow the principles of ecology first, capacity control, overall optimization, completeness of habitat and landscape, and market orientation.

11.2.3 The plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following: assessment of the present state of the ecological environment, analysis and evaluation of the ecotourism resources, functional zoning, planning of ecotourism products and routes, protection of the ecological environment and biodiversity, planning of ecological education, planning of community coordination, control of the ecological carrying capacity, and identification and regulation of ecological environmental impact.

11.2.4 The plan shall respect and display nature; it shall respect local traditional culture and native customs, buildings and facilities should use local materials and be unified with the natural environment and the cultural background; it shall protect and save natural resources and give full play to the functions of the natural ecosystem; and the construction of facilities shall be in harmony with the overall landscape.

11.2.5 At the planning and operating stages there shall be full communication and coordination with the local community and other interested parties. The production and living activities of the communities inside the ecotourism attraction shall be reasonably controlled so that they do not harm the sustainable use of the resources and the landscape.

11.2.6 The use of land within the area shall be managed as a whole according to the plan; the nature of the use of land and buildings shall not be changed at will.

11.2.7 The approval of the plan shall follow the proper procedure.

11.3.1 For the various ecotourism activities carried out within the area, corresponding visitor rules shall be drawn up covering the main content of the impact of tourism.

11.3.2 Visitors shall be educated not to throw litter about within the area; they shall be encouraged to collect litter of their own accord, environmentally sound behaviour shall be advocated and encouraged, and behaviour that damages the environment shall be restrained and penalized.

11.4.1 The national ecotourism attraction should carry out research activities in ecology, environmental protection, history, culture and tourism.

11.4.2 The national ecotourism attraction should cooperate with colleges, universities and research institutions in carrying out scientific research.

11.4.3 The national ecotourism attraction should obtain certification under the ISO 9000 series for quality management and the ISO 14000 series for environmental management.

11.5.1 The national ecotourism attraction shall follow an environmentally sound purchasing policy for materials, controlling matters at source, choosing suppliers with a sense of social responsibility and giving priority to the use of renewable resources.

11.5.2 The national ecotourism attraction should purchase products carrying green certification and safety certification marks; biodegradable chemical cleaning agents should be used within the area, consumables should be purchased in large packages, and over-packaged goods, non-degradable plastic bags and meal boxes and materials that are difficult to dispose of should not be purchased.

11.5.3 The national ecotourism attraction shall not purchase products of protected animals and plants.

11.6.1 An ecotourism attraction that has passed recognition may use the title and the mark of national ecotourism attraction; the certificate and the emblem are drawn up and issued uniformly by the recognition body for national ecotourism attractions.

11.6.2 The scoring rules for the recognition of a national ecotourism attraction shall meet the requirements of Table A.1 of Annex A.

11.6.3 A visitor satisfaction survey shall be carried out for the recognition of a national ecotourism attraction; a sample visitor satisfaction questionnaire is given in Annex B. More than 300 valid visitor questionnaires shall be collected each year; the visitors surveyed shall be chosen according to the characteristics of the source markets, the timing of the questionnaires shall be reasonably distributed and shall cover the low and high seasons and both weekdays and public holidays; the opinions of travel agents shall also be sought; the problems reported shall be fed back promptly and written corrective measures proposed.

11.6.4 Areas awarded the title of national ecotourism attraction shall be managed dynamically and reinspection shall be organized at regular intervals.

A Annex A (normative) Scoring rules for national ecotourism attractions

A.1.1 These rules total 1 000 points.

A.1.2 The items are divided into two kinds: required items, shown by a triangle, totalling 1 000 points; and prohibited items, shown by a cross, totalling 160 points.

A.1.3 Required items are scored positive and prohibited items are scored negative.

A.1.4 The scoring material shall be based on the most recent data, with the last two years as the basis; for continuous data, monitoring data covering more than five years shall be supplied. Quantified data requiring measurement shall be based on the most recent test report confirmed by the government department.

A.1.5 National ecotourism attractions may be divided into seven types: mountain, forest, grassland, wetland, marine, desert and gobi, and human-ecological. In scoring, full account shall be taken of the characteristics of the ecosystem of each type of ecotourism attraction; where an assessment item listed in A.1.6 to A.1.12 is not applicable, the score is determined by multiplying the full mark for that indicator by the average scoring proportion of all the indicators in the category to which it belongs.

A.1.6 A mountain type ecotourism attraction is one built mainly on a mountain environment. In scoring this type, where assessment items such as natural lakes, reservoirs, underground rivers, springs, forest, grassland, karst caves and rock caves in the ecological environment and culture category of Table A.1 are not applicable, the score is determined by the method described in A.1.5; other non-applicable items score nothing.

A.1.7 A forest type ecotourism attraction is one built mainly on forest vegetation and its habitat, including large areas of bamboo forest. In scoring this type, where assessment items such as mountains, natural lakes, reservoirs, underground rivers, springs, grassland, rocks, karst caves and rock caves in the ecological environment and culture category are not applicable, the score is determined by the method described in A.1.5; other non-applicable items score nothing.

A.1.8 A grassland type ecotourism attraction is one built mainly on grassland vegetation and its habitat, including meadow types. In scoring this type, where assessment items such as mountains, natural lakes, reservoirs, underground rivers, springs, forest, rocks, karst caves and rock caves are not applicable, the score is determined by the method described in A.1.5; other non-applicable items score nothing.

A.1.9 A wetland type ecotourism attraction is one built mainly on the wetland formed jointly by aquatic and land-dwelling organisms and their habitat, referring chiefly to inland wetland and water ecosystems and also including river mouths. In scoring this type, where assessment items such as mountains, underground rivers, forest, grassland, rocks, karst caves and rock caves are not applicable, the score is determined by the method described in A.1.5; other non-applicable items score nothing.

A.1.10 A marine type ecotourism attraction is one built mainly on marine and coastal organisms and their habitat, including seashores and islands. In scoring this type, where assessment items such as mountains, natural lakes, reservoirs, underground rivers, springs, forest, grassland, rocks, karst caves and rock caves are not applicable, the score is determined by the method described in A.1.5; other non-applicable items score nothing.

A.1.11 A desert and gobi type ecotourism attraction is one built mainly on desert or gobi or their organisms and habitat. In scoring this type, where assessment items in the ecotourism resources and the ecological environment and culture categories such as vegetation, animals, rare and endangered species, mountains, land resources, water resources, forest, grassland, karst caves, rock caves, appearance of animals, and use and protection of resources are not applicable, the score is determined by the method described in A.1.5; other non-applicable items score nothing.

A.1.12 A human-ecological type ecotourism attraction is one built mainly on the human ecology and its habitat formed by outstanding historical and cultural features. In scoring this type, the scores for required item indicators in the ecotourism resources and the ecological environment and culture categories that are not applicable are determined by the method described in A.1.5; other non-applicable items score nothing.

A.1.13 A national ecotourism attraction shall reach 900 points.

A.1.14 Where a major event of ecological destruction or environmental pollution, or a major accident such as a tourism safety accident, has occurred in the last three years, the area may not take part in the recognition of national ecotourism attractions.

A.2 Table A.1 sets out the scoring rules themselves. It is organized in the same order as the body of the document, with a serial number, the item, the working requirement and assessment criterion, the item type (required or prohibited) and the mark for each line, and it distributes the total between the eight categories of ecotourism resources, ecological environment and culture, ecotourism products and services, infrastructure and service facilities, safety and environmental sanitation, ecological education and brand communication, community participation, and integrated management. The individual marks are not reproduced here.