|
|
May 8, 2007: China has embarked on a
campaign, especially in Beijing, the capital, to
ensure cleanliness and etiquette in public places,
ahead of the 2008 Olympics the country is hosting.
Jumping the queue, spitting, littering and
clearing one’s throat loudly in public are some of
the frequently observed practices among Chinese
travellers, according to a guideline prepared and
released in 2006 by the Spiritual Civilisation
Steering Committee (SCSC) of the Chinese Communist
Party, the official etiquette watchdog.
Posters have now appeared, telling travellers how
to behave, in almost every train station, bus
stop, hotel and scenic spot.
Notwithstanding grumbling by many tourists,
Chinese officials are keen on correcting the
embarrassing habits of the Chinese travellers
ahead of the Olympics Games, which is now just
about 450 days away.
During the travel spree connected with the
week-long May Day holidays, about 150 million
Chinese will be on the road, according to China’s
official news agency Xinhua.
The China National Tourism Administration has
issued a circular, making travel agencies and tour
guides responsible for correcting tourists’ bad
behavior during the holidays.
Beijing expects to receive 550,000 foreign
tourists during the Olympics to be held in August
2008 and an estimated 2 million domestic tourists
to visit the capital city.
According to Zhai Weihua, deputy director of
Spiritual Civilisation Steering Committee,
promoting civilised behaviors among Chinese
travellers is a long-term task.
Tens of thousands of reporters will come to China
to cover the Olympic Games in 2008, which means
both China’s positive and negative sides will be
amplified. Once bad impressions are made, they
last, Zhai Weihua said.
For the Chinese government, travellers coming to
Beijing from outside the city are the biggest
worry.
While Beijing’s 15 million residents have been
covered under a massive campaign to improve their
conduct ahead of the Olympics, Chinese visitors
from outside Beijing have missed out on the
propaganda drive.
Travel agents, said a guide with a Beijing-based
travel agency, have been instructed to remind
people constantly throughout the tour and also
lead an etiquette discussion at the end of the
tour.
BY OUR PHARMA CORRESPONDENT
|
