Manners still missing in overseas travel

Sharp increase in numbers leads to high visibility for Chinese tourists

Recent misbehavior by Chinese tourists overseas has made headlines around the world, with Chinese authorities writing travel etiquette into regulations to help travelers prepare for and respect other cultures.

Asked about the behavior of Chinese tour groups abroad, Kay Popken, managing director of strategy and development in China at German airline Lufthansa, was blunt.

"They tick off the sightseeing spots, take their photos and then drive off to the next location. Many seem mostly interested in the shopping, often for luxury items.

"Who among them is really interested in those Gothic cathedrals and has been reading about them in preparation for the trip?"

In recent months, the misbehavior of Chinese tourists abroad has been covered by traditional and social media at home and overseas, causing much embarrassment and soul-searching in China.

Alert to the complaints, the central government has reacted quickly and sought countermeasures.

In some of the more notorious incidents, two Chinese passengers fought so hard on a flight from Zurich to Beijing that the plane was forced to return.

In another case that made headlines, a middle school student carved his name on a 3,500-year-old Egyptian temple.

And two groups of visitors brawled and fought in lavender fields in France over where to stand to take photographs.

Other behavior that has been criticized ranges from wasting food at buffets to refusing to wait in line and not leaving tips.

A Foreign Ministry official, who declined to be named, said that about half of all cases handled by overseas Chinese diplomats nowadays are triggered by the inappropriate behavior of Chinese citizens.

Wang Haidong, operational manager of London-based Yang Guang (Sunshine) Holiday Travel Agency, said Chinese tourists are inclined to talk loudly in restaurants, in a way that disturbs diners at nearby tables.

They should learn to talk to each other and restaurant employees in a respectful and courteous manner, Wang said.

An assistant manager at Chanel in the Galeries Lafayette department store in Paris, who declined to give her name because she is not authorized by the company to comment, said: "Chinese customers are always in a hurry and they want everything to be done very quickly.

"And sometimes they are suspicious that we have raised the price and we have to assure them that we have not."

In recent years, Chinese tourists have often been listed as being among the worst in the world. Thailand's The Universal Daily News said on Aug 6 that loud Chinese visitors have been hampering the Thai tourism industry.

However, some senior Western tourism professionals say there is an obvious reason for the surge in complaints about Chinese tourists and troubles with tour groups - there has been an unprecedented surge in the number of Chinese traveling overseas.