旅游黑名單(lǚyóu hēimíngdān): Tourism blacklist

The China National Tourism Administration recently issued a new version of a regulation to deal with misbehavior by tourists.

According to the new regulation, nine offences, including violating the order on public transport, ignoring the social habits and customs of tourist destinations, damaging public facilities, historical relics and the local environment, participating in activities involving pornography, gambling or drug, and endangering the security of themselves or others will be recorded on the tourism blacklist.

In addition, if minors without proper adult supervision violate the regulation and their behavior causes serious consequences, their guardians will be listed on the record.

The regulation also stipulates five behaviors of travel agencies and their staff that will see them added to the blacklist, including cheating, humiliating, abusing or threatening tourists and disrespecting the religions, customs and taboos of tourists and tourism destinations.

According to the administration, an evaluation committee consisting of the administrative authorities, legal experts, travel agencies and representatives of tourists will review any behavior to decide if the person or company concerned should be put on the blacklist.

The misbehaviors will be ranked into three grades according to their severity. The record will be released to the public and relevant institutions, which will be kept for one to five years.