China blacklists 4 people for misbehaving while travelling

BEIJING — Chinese authorities have blacklisted four people for misbehaving while travelling, as Beijing seeks to improve the image of its tourists who are visiting the world's touristy spots in increasingly large numbers but also are earning a reputation for rudeness.

The four blacklisted this week by the China National Tourism Administration include a woman who poured instant noodles soaked in hot water onto an AirAsia flight attendant and made insults and threats at the attendant. Her male travelling companion was also blacklisted after getting into an altercation with the attendant. Their behaviours necessitated the flight returning to Bangkok.

Zhang Yan and Wang Sheng were the first two people to be blacklisted by the national agency under a rule that took effect last month.

It allows authorities to blacklist a person for unruly, disruptive, disrespectful or illegal behaviours on travel and to notify police, customs, border security, transportation agencies and credit agencies. No punishments are specified but the blacklisting means people could see their travel plans affected during a specified timeframe.

Both Zhang and Wang will remain on the blacklist until March 2017.

The third person on the blacklist forcibly opened emergency doors on a domestic flight and was detained 15 days. The tourism administration said he should be blacklisted for two years.

The fourth one climbed onto statutes of revolutionary soldiers for photo taking, drawing widespread condemnation, the tourism administration said. He would be sanctioned for 10 years.

Buoyed by their better incomes, record numbers of Chinese have travelled home and abroad, touring scenic and cultural spots around the world, but they also have been criticised for such things as being boisterous, smoking in public, littering and fouling public toilets. AP