China hatches plan to keep vacationers in check
BEIJING -- China says it will try to convince its citizens to behave themselves while traveling abroad by requiring authorities back home to keep records of people doing anything illegal or inappropriate while in other countries.
Provincial and national authorities will contact tourists when they return home and work with them on fixing their conduct, the China National Tourism Administration said on its website Monday. Police, customs officers, border control and even bank credit agencies should be contacted if necessary, it said.
Chinese tourists have made headlines recently with their disruptive behavior while traveling inside and outside the country. Several have opened the cabin doors of planes to protest flight delays. The official China Daily newspaper noted the arrests of three Chinese tourists over the weekend for taking lewd photos while vacationing in Japan.
CBS News correspondent Seth Doane reported in May 2013 that a case of vandalism on the wall of an ancient Egyptian temple became a source of shame and anger in China. A chinese teen tourist marked his name on the 3,500 year old Luxor temple, sparking widespread outcry and a warning from the Chinese government for tourists to "behave themselves."
Higher incomes have allowed millions of Chinese to start taking vacations outside their country in recent years.
The administration said Tuesday in a separate post that "tourism reflects on the country and the people's image," which means that more "social supervision" of tourists is required.