Chinese Travelers Bad-Mannered?

Before you go bashing the messenger, please read what I’m referring to over at Canada.com. According to their short news piece, China’s tourism authority claims Chinese travelers are uncouth. Of the semi-gross or uncouth habits demonstrated by Chinese travelers, littering would be the one that bothers me more than anything, if true. (Litter bugs are not cool at all!) Spitting, smoking in nonsmoking areas, line-jumping, poor hygiene (not flushing the toilet or covering one’s mouth when sneezing) and walking around shirtless and shoeless in hotels were all common complaints from an online survey on Chinese tourists. Ouch! I’d be pretty hurt with poll results like that and curious to know who took this survey. Up to 100 million Chinese travelers are expected to travel abroad annually by 2020. The survey was carried out in August and plans to improve the manners of Chinese travelers. Whatever that involves I’d hate to be apart of that course.

(P.S. The three individuals in the picture by no means reflect the type of tourist at question. I do not know them. I know not if they sneeze without covering their mouth or litter without a care, but I’m sure they don’t.)