A toilet navigation system has recently been launched in China to help tourists across the country find the nearest places to answer nature’s call.
The system was jointly developed by China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) and AutoNavi, a Chinese web mapping, navigation, and location-based services provider.
“It only takes seconds to locate nearby toilets after opening the app,” said Zhao Wei, a tour guide in Xiamen, Fujian province. He said he always had a hard time finding toilets for his tour groups before, which was quite embarrassing.
The system not only offers the locations of nearby bathrooms, but also provides directions.
“We need to keep pace with the toilet revolution and facilitate it with technologies, thus benefiting tourists in a practical way,” said an employee of the CNTA.
The new service covers all of China’s highest-level tourist attractions, and more than 70% of the secondary-level ones, which add up to more than 500,000 toilets.
In addition, the system can also help tourists access other practical information, including tourist sites introduction and local services.