China's official media has slammed mainland tourists, criticising them for "seven bad habits" when travelling overseas. Xinhua news agency, widely seen as the official voice of the PRC Government, has criticised mainland tourists for a variety of "sins" including widespread littering, noise, disregard for queues, inappropriate dress and rudeness. Its website urges mainland tourists to mend their ways or risk damaging China's image as a "civilised country". Mainlanders, who usually travel in groups, are guilty of talking at high volume on public transport, in restaurants and in hotel rooms with doors wide open, the report says. In disputes, mainland tourists sometimes resort to bad language and even violence, it continues. Helen Castell in Hong Kong and Ian Jarrett in Australia check out reactions to the Xinhua report. 21 June 2002 Are China’s mainland tourists low-yield, high aggravation? Are they worth the effort? Best Western’s Rosedale on the Park hotel in Hong Kong recently announced it would reduce the proportion of leisure visitors from mainland China staying at the hotel and instead target visitors from Korea and Japan, citing wear and tear, and disturbance to other guests as the reason behind the move. Lenny Wong, executive assistant manager at Rosedale on the Park, told TravelWeekly the decision to cut back on targeting mainland guests was “quite painful”. While Rosedale will not be turning away business, it will be less prepared to lower rates to attract mainland leisure visitors. The hotel will however continue to target an increasing number of higher yield and “better behaved” mainland corporate guests. Rosedale had previously aimed for 10 percent of its leisure clientele to be from mainland China, but it will now cut this to just four percent. In compensation, it hopes to increase the number of Japanese and Korean leisure visitors to a combined 14 percent, up from 10 percent. Wong said the Korean inbound market remained healthy, and Japan was showing some signs of recovery. Both groups pay higher rates than their mainland counterparts. Not all low yield Mainland Chinese are Hong Kong’s fastest growing pool of visitors with monthly arrivals now exceeding half a million. Although they have also become Hong Kong’s top spenders, a relatively small proportion of this goes towards accommodation. Rosedale, which opened just a year ago, is in the comfortable position of having sustained an occupancy rate of around 90 percent even in the aftermath of September 11. Gerhard Hecker, general manager of Grand Stanford Inter-Continental, said the Hong Kong property derived approximately 10 percent of its market share from the PRC. “Generally speaking, our visitors from the mainland do not deserve the criticism which Xinhua News Agency unleashed on them,” said Hecker. “There are certainly differences between guests of three-, four- and five-star hotels. Those who choose five-star hotels are usually seasoned travellers who do know how to adapt to the international atmosphere of a hotel.” Hecker said managing a healthy business mix was important for any hotelier, and for the hotel’s atmosphere. “Hong Kong, in particular, is a destination which enjoys a wide spread of international arrivals. To maintain a good balance between these various supply markets renders the hotel less vulnerable against deflation of specific markets.” John Girard, general manager of Marco Polo Hong Kong said the issue of bad behaviour among mainland tourists was “being blown out of all proportion”. “We have not had any bad experiences with our neighbours. We have experienced exemplary behaviour, normal tourist behaviour, and we cannot wait to see more of them (mainland Chinese) coming back.” Girard said the Chinese media had been too quick to “punish”, probably based on rumour. Inappropriate behaviour? Chris Green, general manager of The Villas resort in Bali, accused mainland Chinese tourists of “inappropriate behaviour best found in the barnyard”. “This is why I have not approached the mainland Chinese market and do not intend to do so in the near future. The entire crux of the matter is that it upsets other guests who have paid good money to enjoy a well deserved vacation. As a hotelier it is my job to ensure that a holiday is as peaceful as possible. “Business travellers have their hotel bill paid by the company, while resort guests mainly pay out of their own pocket. They should have peace.” The general manager of a four-star property in Macau, who asked not to be named, said, “These are sensitive issues and (one) should not categorise the behaviour and habits of the entire Chinese population. In parts of China culture and environment are different, Shanghai from Urumuqi for instance, and you can't expect people from these places to behave in the same manner. “However, overall, we do find Chinese “group – leisure” tourists justify some of the complaints about inappropriate behaviour in public , but there are some good and well-educated mainland travellers, too. So we can’t quantify all of them as being bad. “China is still a big market and we can't deny the fact that they bring in the dollars that we need badly at this point in time. In the future they will learn and be better travellers. “Rosedale on the Park said it right. We can’t disregard them, but we can try to influence their numbers staying with us. It all depends on each hotel’s marketing strategies.” A need for patience Lana Li, executive assistant manager, sales and marketing, at Hong Kong’s Kimberley Hotel, said that 30 years ago, “many of us were critical of the big Japanese groups in hotels, but nowadays, we love them and we need them.” Li said while some mainland Chinese tourists might be a bit noisy in a small lobby, “it would be the same if we had a group of 10 Italians or Mexicans or Singaporeans”. She also warned against discrimination of Chinese mainland visitors. “They’re paying guests to the hotel. They should receive equal treatment, like all other paying guests.” A spokesman for Accor hotels in Australia said the company was receiving strong levels of support from the Chinese market because its hotels were largely within the price range of mainland Chinese, especially the mid-market Mercure and economy-class Ibis brand. “But maybe we receive a different sort of traveller to the mainland Chinese who visit Hong Kong because the Chinese inbound guest that we get is no different to most other visitors. “To single out Chinese travellers as ‘badly behaved’ we consider to be completely incorrect based on our findings,” the spokesperson said. Evolving fast – but good to push Akram Touma, general manager of Westin Resort Macau, said that having lived and worked in China for five years and managed five-star hotels in three major cities, he was fully aware that Chinese people were quick learners. “They have picked up the concept of fashion, Internet use and language skills very quickly. The new generation is also picking up etiquette and public manners rather quickly. “However, this is not the case for the older generation. I commend the campaign and drive by the mayor of Beijing to educate the public about etiquette and hygiene in preparation for the Olympics in 2008,” said Touma. “Xinhua is courageous in shedding some light on this issue. There is no point in hiding or denying it, the majority of Chinese group travellers lack the ‘savoir faire’ in international destinations. “At times, they are an embarrassment to their countrymen. We need to desensitise the issue and make people in general and travellers in particular aware of it. “The majority of Chinese travellers will become world-class travellers in the near future. Of this, I have no doubt,” said Touma. You snooze, you lose… your licence New rules aimed at cleaning up China's outbound travel industry will see agents facing tough penalties or even losing their licences for such things as “losing” members from their group overseas or taking them to venues offering illicit services. From now on, agents must report disappearances of group members immediately to Chinese embassies, in an effort to reduce the number of those leaving groups and settling overseas. Failure to do so could cost them their licence. Tour agents will also face tough penalties for taking customers to places offering gambling, sexual services or drugs. Tour guides are also banned from forcing customers on shopping tours and from taking kick-backs from shops. The new rules, just announced by the State Council, come into effect next month, replacing a 1997 regulation.