Exploring the Applicability of the PPP in Tourist Toilets: Reflections on the Laoshan Case in China

Although public–private partnerships (PPPs) for tourism have received extensive attention, there has been limited research on their application to tourist toilets. The purpose of this study was to systematically explore the applicability of PPPs with respect to the construction and operation of tourist toilets. The study conducted field investigations and semi-structured interviews in the Qingdao Laoshan Scenic Area (LSA), where purposive sampling techniques were used to manage participant selection and expand sample sizes. It finds that first, the use of PPPs to build tourist toilets is new and has shown both development potential and challenges. Second, the use of PPPs to provide tourist toilets is not yet mature owing to management and supply inefficiencies. Third, the DBTO model in the Laoshan case offers a significant methodological value for similar PPP projects, which could be replicated and promoted more widely when certain conditions are met. This study has filled a research gap in the global toilet revolution and shows a different path from the investment guarantee system in developed Western countries and the Guilin model in China. This application of a PPP in provision of tourist toilets also broadens the knowledge base of researchers studying PPPs in the field of tourism and could lead to the development of a policy approach with respect to PPPs’ application in the toilet revolution and regional tourism development.

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