New Chinese tourism rules promise politer visitors, but will they work?
Mainland tourists keen to behave themselves when enjoying their holidays in Hong Kong
Mainland tourists pouring into the city on the first day of the annual "golden week" holiday yesterday said they were happy to comply with new rules on how to behave when travelling.
The national tourism administration issued a 64-page rulebook containing regulations forbidding mainland tourists to behave in "uncivilised" ways while overseas on Wednesday. The rules, which went into force yesterday, urged travellers to "behave" and "abide by the norms of civilised tourist behaviour".
I don't think the new rules are unreasonable. Tourists represent a country, so it is important that we represent it well
General guidelines include not spitting on the streets, not shouting in public areas, not forcing locals to help take pictures, not throwing rubbish and not picking their noses.
In one section of the guidebook, tourists were reminded that all air-conditioned places in Hong Kong and Macau were no-smoking areas. It also stressed that mainlanders should not try to get refunds for food.
One tourist in a group from Guizhou said the new rules were not too bad as they provided tourists and locals with a better environment.
