Tourists in Beijing this summer are much more likely to be welcomed with a smile as locals have shown a marked improvement in their etiquette over the past year, a leading academic has claimed.
In preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing authorities have clamped down on anti-social behaviour that may be considered intimidating for foreign tourists.
A research team led by Sha Lianxiang, a sociology professor at the People's University of China, found that littering rates have dropped by four per cent since 2005, spitting is down 3.5 per cent and queue jumping has also been cut three per cent, reports state media Xinhua.
However, Ms Lianxiang claims that residents still have a long way to go before their "civilised degree" will reach the standard expected for the Olympics.
"The government and citizens still have a lot of things to do to improve their public behaviour," she said.
Beijing is usually the first port of call for anyone wishing to explore China and is the primary site of the Olympics next year. One of the main attractions is the Forbidden City, the imperial complex closed to all but the emperor from the 15th century until 1949.
Tiananmen Square to the south is also a must-visit landmark as the government centre of the city and site of the student protests that turned into a massacre in 1989.
InsureandGo's annual multi-trip insurance package allows you to travel as many times as you like during the year, for specified periods of time.