The worlds most obnoxious tourists.

last updated 8 January 2015

China

Liu Shinan

Chinese people need to learn how to behave, said Liu Shinan in Beijing’s China Daily. When they go abroad, Chinese tourists give the country a bad name with their “uncivilized behavior.” Littering, pushing their way onto trains, and “talking too loudly” in restaurants make Chinese tourists stand out as exceptionally rude wherever they go. The government has finally taken notice. The Central Office for Civilization Promotion has drawn up a new pamphlet, “Guidelines for Civilized Behavior of Chinese Tourists Abroad.” They will be given out to those who apply for foreign travel. That’s fine, but they should also be provided to classrooms here in China. “Bad, subconscious habits,” such as pushing, “are mostly developed during childhood.” Yet Chinese parents are more likely to teach their children good study habits than to teach them “to give way to a senior citizen.” A politer society will come about only through “the education of children.”