CHINA: China’s Tourist Blacklist

One offender ignored warning to turn off his computer; another threw milk at security staff; while third pushed an airline employee to the ground during a row.

Three more names have been added to mainland China’s tourist blacklist, as the government seeks to discourage travellers from misbehaving and hurting the country’s image overseas.

The three people are the first to be added to the blacklist since the China Air Transport Association in February imposed a slew of new penalties, including a flying ban in addition to existing fines.

The list “signals that our efforts to rein in uncivilised behaviour by air travellers has reached a new phase,” the association said, noting the practice would become a new normal.

One of the three tourists, identified only by his surname Qiao, was fined 200 yuan (US$31 or HK$240) by the police after using a tablet computer just as the plane was about to land, despite repeated warnings by the cabin crew.

Another man, surnamed Deng, refused to follow instructions from airport staff at a security checkpoint after he was found to be carrying milk in his handbag. He was accused of throwing the milk at the staff and X-ray machine and was detained for 10 days.

The third was a traveller identified by his surname Gao, who caused chaos after pushing an airline employee to the ground when he was engaged in a dispute over a flight delay. He was slapped with a 200 yuan fine.

The association said all names put on the list would remain there for one to two years.

Among other offences that could land a traveller on the list are: opening emergency exits without permission, blocking or forcefully occupying check-in counters, and joining fights or attacking others at airports or on aircraft.

Earlier this year, the country’s five biggest carriers, including China Southern Airlines and Air China, signed a deal vowing to introduce bans on blacklisted tourists.