Don't spit or talk loudly in public places. Wait in line. Eat quietly.

These are just a few of the guidelines for outbound travelers that will be included in a nationwide campaign this month aimed at encouraging people to mind their manners when they travel.

Posters, brochures and TV ads promoting the campaign and its new symbol will appear at bus stations, railway stations and airports during the Spring Festival, a time when millions of Chinese traditionally travel across the country. The Spring Festival starts on February 18 this year.

The campaign's organizers will meet and discuss the guidelines with the first outbound tourist group to travel during the Spring Festival holiday, said Li Renzhi, a senior official of the China National Tourism Administration, at a press conference yesterday.

The administration, in conjunction with the Spiritual Civilization Steering Committee of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee and nine other government departments, launched the campaign last August.

They sought advice from the public in compiling the guidelines, and in the end received at least 30,000 suggestions from both home and abroad. More than 3 million people participated in the discussion.

China's tourism industry has developed rapidly in recent years, but "the behavior of some Chinese travellers is not compatible with the nation's economic strength and its growing international status," the committee said.

Last year, there were 34.5 million overseas trips and 1.4 billion domestic trips, according to the administration. The World Tourism Organization predicted that the number of Chinese outbound travelers would hit 100 million by 2020.

It has been reported that many tourists behave improperly in public places.

"The most typical improper behavior involves spitting and talking loudly in public places," he said.

"Some tourists also take pictures regardless of whether they are permitted, and jump over the rails when signs say 'no trespassing'," said Liang Yuan, manager of the outbound tourism marketing department of China Travel International.

"Polite manners are a reflection of a country's character. We will continue to remind travelers to watch their behavior, and explain to them the social conventions and etiquette in their destination countries before they depart," she said.