Don't spit or talk loudly in public places. Wait in line. Eat quietly.

These are just a few of the guidelines for outbound travelers that'll be included in a nationwide campaign getting underway this month designed to encourage people to mind their manners when they travel at home or abroad.

Posters, brochures and TV ads promoting the campaign and its new symbol will appear at bus and railway stations and airports during the Spring Festival. This is a time of year when millions of Chinese traditionally travel in the country. It starts on February 18. 

The campaign's organizers will also meet and discuss the guidelines with the first outbound tourist group to travel during the Spring Festival holiday, said Li Renzhi, a senior official of the China National Tourism Administration speaking at a press conference yesterday.

The administration along with the Spiritual Civilization Steering Committee of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee and nine other government departments launched the campaign last August.

They sought advice from the public in compiling the guidelines and in the end received 30,000 suggestions from both home and abroad. Over three million have participated in the debate. 

China's tourism industry has developed rapidly in recent years but "the behavior of some Chinese travelers is not compatible with the nation's economic strength and its growing international status," said the committee in a circular.

Last year there were 34.5 million overseas journeys and 1.4 billion domestic trips, according to the administration. The World Tourism Organization has predicted the number of Chinese outbound travelers would hit 100 million by 2020.

It has been reported that many tourists behave improperly in public places.

"The most typical improper behavior involves spitting and talking loudly in public places," said Liang Yuan, manager of the outbound tourism marketing department of China Travel International. "Some tourists also take pictures regardless of whether they are permitted and jump over rails despite the 'no trespassing' signs."

"Polite manners are a reflection of a country's character," she said. "We'll continue to remind travelers to watch their behavior and explain to them the social conventions and etiquette of their destination countries before they depart."

(China Daily February 1, 2007)