What is tipping practice for visitors to China?
Answer: In recognition of the good service from tour guides, drivers, skycaps, waiters or bellhops, tipping which was once frowned upon has become gradually accepted as common practice in China as elsewhere in the world. In most Chinese cities but especially the internationalized metropolis of Hong Kong and Macau, tipping is very common.
Must I tip when I enjoy the good service?
Answer: Actually, tipping is not a must but will be greatly appreciated by Chinese. Since tipping is a personal matter, please do not feel uneasy about it. What or when you choose to tip depends entirely on how you rate a service but you are not under any obligation to do so.
Answer: Tipping frequently occurs when you are in a tour group, superior hotel, restaurant, train station and airport or somewhere else you can enjoy service. Remember that it is not necessary to tip in roadside eateries or snack stalls. Sometimes the bill in some of the places or cities may have already included about 5% - 15% service charge.
Answer: Although tipping is not required, gratuities may improve service. For the bellboys or waiters, 1 - 5 US dollars may be appropriate as the tip. If you are uncertain about how much to give, just to tip based on your bill. Generally, 10% - 15% of the bill is the most proper amount. For the tour guide and the driver, 1 - 10 US dollars a day per person is adequate.
Do I have to tip when join an organized tour?
Answer: Yes, you need to tip even though you join an organized tour.
The quotation we offered doesn't include the tips for the guides and drivers. So if you are satisfactory with their service, you need to tip them yourself.
Do I always have to tip in cash?
Answer: If you like, cash is sure a good way. Another way, in which you can express your appreciation of service from your tour guide or driver, is a small gift such as foreign cigarettes, wine, candies, hats or T-shirts, even a lipstick or nail polish.
Copyright© 1998-2009 TravelChinaGuide.com, All rights reserved.
Travelers' Voices on Tipping
1.
Sep. 9,2009 15:21 Reply
Mrs.Melinda(USA) said:
Is it okay to bring fingernail polish from the US and pass them out to young girls that we meet on our tours when they help us with directions or when we ask questions on where to eat? Can we leave some bottles for the person that cleans our room?
Sep. 9,2009 21:12
Mr.tian(cn) replied:
Hi, if you take something from usa, you should abide the regulation of the usa airlines. However, when you take a flight inside china, i must tell you that it is not allowed to take the fingernail polish in hand baggage. You can take them as a check luggage. Each container can not exceed 100 ml. And they should be put into a plastic bags.
It is ok to give the fingernail polish to the people who help you in CHina as a present.
2.
Apr. 24,2009 11:46 Reply
Mrs.Minh LE(Canada) said:
Hello
We have 2 groups : 1 -5 persons and group 2 -2 persons. We will take a tour in China through the same agency in China. They send us the hotel confirmation for a group 7 persons for China Visa application. As I understood that this confirmation is applicable for a Group Visa. However I read the website form China Embassy in Cannada. The Group Visa is applicable if we all entering and exiting China together at the same time throug the same border checkpoint. Since we arrive and depart at the different time (but the same day and through the same border) . Do you think we have problem to apply for a Group Visa? or do we need to have 2 seperate confirmations for 2 groups?. We don't have any experience , I tried to contact the Embassy , but it does not work (nobody pick up the phone).
- Also per instruction , they request an official confimation leter from authorized Chinese travel Agency (see item a) (both original and a photocopy). The Agency sends the PDF file (ref hotel confimation for China Visa) to us . Is it sufficient or we really need the original document confirmation letter?
Your promtly answer will be appreciated
Best regards
Minh
Apr. 26,2009 20:13
Ms.Yuan(China) replied:
If you do no enter the border at the same time, you can not apply for group visa. Yes, you can apply visa through a travel agency. As for the original confirmation letter, I think it's necessary.