In an attempt to improve the tarnished image of its tourists abroad, China is establishing a scale that ranks different levels of bad behavior among travelers.

China's National Tourism Administration plans to use the rankings and share that data with airline operators, hotels and tour agents so they can decide whether or not to do business with them, according to China National Radio.

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Tour operators and other companies in the industry would be able to rely on the information before "deciding carefully whether to sell the person that ticket, or whether to let them take my flight," Chairman Li Jinzao said.

The new system would also provide data for the public about poorly managed tourist attractions and hotels. It would include information on the number of complaints received by attractions and hotels, how many had been settled, and how many customers had been satisfied with the outcome.

Mismanaged attractions and hotels could be punished by being removed from the list of the mainland's recommended list of tourist attractions and hotels, said Li.

Rated Hotels, which have been assessed and gained governmental approval, will be ranked numerically from one to five. Major tourist attractions in China will also be ranked into five levels, from 1A to 5A - with 5A being the highest.

The ratings of sites take into account their importance and other factors such as the management, safety, and cleanliness of the area.

Tourists from China have earned a bad reputation around the world from several high-profile examples of tourists misbehaving. Just last month, China said it would punish a group of Chinese tourists who forced a Thai AirAsia flight to return to Bangkok after becoming violent against flight attendants over a seating dispute.

State media called the tourists "barbarians" after scalding a Thai flight attendent with hot water and noodles, and threatened to blow up the plane during a flight from Bangkok to Nanjing.

"They believed that behaving like barbarians would get them what they wanted, forgetting that civility demands that a fellow human being be treated as an equal," said state-run news agency China Daily. "The incident should serve as a lesson not just for the four culprits, but also for all Chinese to behave properly to get respect."

Another Chinese passenger made news aboard a domestic Xiamen Air flight from Hangzhou to Chengdu after he opened an emergency exit just before take off to "get some fresh airm," Southern Metropolis Daily reported.

TagsChina to Rank Tourists Behaving Badly, National Tourism Administration, Chairman Li Jinzao, China National Radio