As Pingtan embraces mounting foreign guests in recent years, accommodation capacity and language services in particular still need improvement, Pingtan Times reported Wednesday.

In the latest incident to expose Pingtan's shortcomings, waitresses lacked basic English skills to communicate with foreign athletes who stayed in Pingtan to compete in the Kiteboard Tour Asia (KTA) events here. Most hotels relied on event volunteers or interpreters brought by foreigners themselves.

Things became more embarrassing when the competition drew to an end and the volunteers left.

"There were some kite riders who had not left (after the events had finished). Without volunteers, we could only talk with the foreign guests using translation apps on mobile phones," said Yang Yimei, a receptionist with a local hotel on Tuesday.

Many hotels in Pingtan have no staff with basic English skills, according to the newspaper's survey. Some of the hotels have pledged to improve.

"Currently, there are a few foreigners who lodge in our hotel and we had no problem with their accommodations," said a manager with Longfengshan Hotel, who assumed some of the reception tasks for the KTA events in the past two years.

"As a star-rated hotel, we have been paying attention to gear to international conventions. Thus we will step up training (in employee English skills)," said Peng Xinghua, manager of the Qilin Hotel.

The Western Haowei Hotel, which is about to open, has hired two foreign receptionists who know Chinese to meet language service needs, said Lin Guizhou, general manager, adding that they will have English training on a regular basis and give rewards to those who perform well.

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Michael Thai