Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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Hotel hygiene issues need to be investigated, says China's tourism ministry
China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism has urged local tourism departments in Beijing, Shanghai, Fujian, Jiangxi and Guizhou to carry out an investigation along with the country's health authority on the recent hygiene issues at high-end hotels, according to a recently released statement.
The China Global Television Network reports that the ministry has also decided to dispatch an ad hoc investigation team to the hotels which have been criticized for poor hygiene, after some budget hotels were also found to have potential hygiene issues.
According to a secret video report conducted by the iTouchTV of Guangdong Broadcasting Group, four out of 10 hotels were detected to have excessive amounts of germs such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus.
The common chain brands named in the video include Home Inn, Super 8, 7 Days Inn and JinJiang Inn. The most unhygienic glasses had more than six times the acceptable level of germs. Towels, sheets and pillows were also tested and found to be badly contaminated.
In early November, a user on Chinese social media platform Weibo posted a recording showing cleaners at more than a dozen five-star hotels using dirty towels to clean toilets, cups and showers, sparking outrage on Chinese social media and drawing the attention of the ministry.
Following the incident, fines have been issued to some, while others have been placed under strict supervision by local authorities. Several major international chains apologised and promised to strengthen staff training and supervision.
However, the frenzy has again affected people's faith in China's hotel management.
"I'm considering taking my own sheets, sleeping bags, kettles and bathrobes on my next trip," said a user on Weibo.
In December 2017, three well-known hotels in the North Eastern Chinese city of Harbin were penalised for failing to follow basic hygiene procedures after cleaning staff were filmed using the same brush to clean lavatories, wash basins and even crockery.
"All hotels are supposed to carry out self-examination and rectification based on the problems in their management and services, improve their credibility and personnel management," the ministry requested in Monday's statement.
6th December 2018