Four tourists now on record for inappropriate behavior

The first batch of records of "uncivilized" tourist behavior was released on China's tourism authority's website on May 6.

Four tourists' names, genders, and the places the inappropriate behavior took place were exposed on the website, including the two who created a disturbance and made a flight from Bangkok to Nanjing turn back about 90 minutes after takeoff last December. The records will be kept for two years.

During the May Day holiday, Li Wenchun from Shaanxi province climbed a statue of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army in Wuqi county. His record will be kept for a decade.

After a few incidents involving Chinese tourists that triggered controversy, the China National Tourism Administration introduced a measure on April 7 to regulate tourist behavior by keeping records of bad behavior.

Examples of bad behavior include violating order on public transportation-including flights-damaging public facilities or historical relics, ignoring social customs at tourism destinations, and becoming involved with gambling or prostitution. Records will be kept by provincial and national tourism authorities for years, depending on how serious the behavior is.

If necessary, the records will also be handed to public security, customs, frontier inspection, transportation and banking authorities. Tourists are allowed to appeal.