A more travel-friendly globe awaits Chinese_美文

A more travel-friendly globe awaits Chinese

After two decades of vacationing around the world, avid traveler Meng Hairong has become well-versed in the art of body language.

Fluent in only her native Mandarin, the 56-year-old retiree has often faced problems communicating with locals in overseas destinations.

"It's comparatively easier for foreign people to travel abroad since there are introductions at scenic spots in most tourism cities in English, French and Spanish," she said. "It hardly works out for Chinese, though."

To avoid the hassle, Meng, who lives in Tianjin, travels with Chinese tourist agencies. Yet even that is not easy.

"You hop off a tour bus to take pictures or use the washroom and then hop back on for the next destination, over and over again. That is not my idea of traveling," she said.

Despite enjoying the fascinating scenery, many Chinese tourists like Meng find themselves lost while traveling abroad due to the lack of service designated for Chinese tourists. However, that may not be the case much longer.

Lu Yong, leader of the preparatory team of the World Tourism Cities Federation, said services designated for Chinese travelers may be provided, and improved, in major world tourism cities.

Such services could include food and accommodation, road signs and emergency treatment, Lu said at the launch of the federation by Beijing and like-minded cities.

According to Li Xinjian, a tourism professor at Beijing International Studies University, since outbound tourism has just developed in recent decades in China, not many tourist destinations are well-equipped with services for Chinese.