(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) A special train service for Chinese tourists was launched at a Swiss mountain resort due to "cultural differences."
Numerous tourists visiting the scenic Mount Rigi resort in the Swiss Alps have been complaining about rude behavior of Chinese travelers in trains, Swiss newspaper Blick reported.
According to the paper, non-Asian passengers, who seek peace and relaxation in the Alps, were disturbed by noisy Chinese groups crowding the wagons' corridors while taking pictures from the train. Some claim Chinese passengers stand on toilet seats to relieve themselves and spit on wagon floors.
A huge marketing campaign was carried out in China after Mount Rigi partnered with an organization in the Chinese region of Mount Emei. As a result, by now half of the foreign visitors to the Swiss resort are Chinese.
According to the director of local railway company Rigi Bahnen, Peter Pfenniger, the flow of Asian tourists to the Swiss resort definitely helped to improve business. Yet, at the same time it has become a problem due to "cultural differences."
"Their strong presence is a challenge." Pfenniger said.
In order to improve the situation and avoid bad feelings between tourists from different parts of the world, a special service was suggested for Asian tourist groups. Special trains, running for them, are being cleaned more regularly. Also, the signs have been put up with detailed instructions on how to use the toilets correctly.
In September, the number of train services for Chinese visitors is expected to rise to about 20 a week. However, the launching of special trains doesn't mean Chinese tourists will be barred from boarding ordinary trains, Pfenniger said.
Chinese netizens took the Blick report offensively, according to the Global Times newspaper. They noted via social media that the increasing flow of tourists from Asia boosts Swiss economy.
Earlier this year, China's National Tourism Administration admitted keeping records of "uncivilized behavior" that negatively affected the country's image abroad.
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