Some uncivil behaviors observed among tourists can be attributed to poor moral quality and habits while others could just be careless mistakes because of lack of knowledge of local customs or communication. After all, those who intentionally show off money and make a scene comprise a fraction of the total number of Chinese tourists.

It is for sure that most of the Chinese tourists are aware of international rules, such as to maintain silence in museums and galleries and not to litter public places. Yet at times some Chinese tourists tend to overlook these conventions because they are not used to such civil and eco-friendly behaviors in their everyday lives. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen moral education and cultivate good habits among children both at school and home so that they develop into model citizens, and educate the adults through advertisements and other means to cultivate civil manners.

Besides, being different from backpackers who, because they travel independently, take the initiative of seeking information about their destinations before actually visiting them to ensure they don't violate local customs and etiquette, and to be wary of taboos, members of package tours groups almost always ignore this necessary part and depend on their tour guides for everything. If travel agencies and managers of tourist spots could provide adequate training for their guides, and the latter could inform the tourists in advance, much of the embarrassment could be avoided.

The author is a writer with China Daily.

xiaolixin@chinadaily.com.cn