Mainland tourists who misbehave will be fined and ordered to rectify their mistakes under new guidelines on appropriate behaviour that were officially enacted by China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), ahead of the May 1 mini-golden holiday.

According to the guidelines, travellers are required not to disrupt order on public transport, trams, trains, ships and planes, and to protect the environment by not defacing or destroying public facilities. They are particularly requested to respect ancient artifacts and the lifestyle of ethnic communities they encounter.

The guidelines also ban gambling and participation in sexual activities or behaviour that leads to adverse effects on society. Those who violate the new regulations may be fined, with their details recorded by tourism authorities. The record will be kept for up to two years.

They can then be ordered by the tourism authority to carry out measures to compensate for the damage caused. The tourist may need to report to police or Immigration Office. The guidelines on appropriate behaviour have been officially enacted for one month; CNTA has announced online that four tourists have been cited and that their details will be on record until 2017 and 2025.