Gambling is listed as one of the “bad behaviors” Chinese tourists recently were warned against by the China National Tourism Administration. Whether traveling domestically or abroad, Chinese tourists also are cautioned to not engage in prostitution; drug taking; damaging cultural relics; disorderly conduct on public transportation; unhygienic activity when in public; violating social customs; endangering themselves and others; and damaging ecological environments.
According to the CNTA, individuals who violate those rules of conduct could be investigated by officials in their home provinces and possibly face sanctions. Also the CNTA advised if minors engage in the listed behaviors, their guardians will be blacklisted. Anyone who violates the new policies will have names and details of the misconduct recorded in the public record for up to five years.
In addition, providers of tourism services who cheat or force tourists to buy, insult them or show disrespect towards other religions and cultures also will be blacklisted, the CNTA said.
Regarding gambling being included on the list, Union Gaming Securities Asia Ltd. said in a statement, “It is hard to reconcile Beijing’s support for its Special Administrative Regions, Macau and Hong Kong—including the diversification efforts ongoing in Macau to make it a much more mass-market centric tourism destination—with the CNTA’s warning against gambling while on vacation.”
Grant Govertsen, an analyst at the brokerage, said, “We suspect the CNTA has not compiled this bad behaviors list based on direct orders from Beijing to try and hamper the nascent mass market growth story in Macau. Rather, we suspect the CNTA is just doing its part to talk tough as it relates to the ongoing anti-corruption/anti-extravagance campaigns.”
He added, “We have not heard of any visitor to Macau ending up on the aforementioned black book as a result of coming to Macau or even for going elsewhere for that matter to gamble. Other than the occasional arrests of South Korean casino marketing agents inside of mainland China, we are unaware of any enforcement actions taken related to overseas gambling, and we would be surprised if there were any negative ramifications going forward following this year’s publication of CNTA’s warning.”
