But the drama did not end there. According to an online commenter writing under the name "Lvluonuanuan," after the couple arrived in Nanjing, they refused to get off the plane, asking the air crew to issue a statement to "clear all the rumors" on the Internet. The man even threatened to hit the air crew and onlookers at the airport.

On Saturday night, China National Tourism Administration issued a statement, saying the passengers' behavior has "severely tarnished the image of Chinese people."

It vowed to probe the case and punish the passengers involved by including them in a travel blacklist system in their home province of Jiangsu. The tourism agency that arranged the couple's travel has also been criticized publicly.

The scandal spurred a storm of criticism on Chinese social media, with embarrassed netizens writing scathing comments.

"Whoever you are, wherever you go, you should remember that your behavior represents your country," said one comment.

Some angry citizens even started a "human flesh search" for the identity of the passengers involved.

Luo Guo'an, a research fellow with Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences, said the case has tarnished the image of Chinese people, and tourists should learn to behave themselves.

Outbound tourism is booming in China on the back of rising disposable income, with roughly 97.3 million passengers traveling overseas in 2013, according to official statistics. However, stories of public vandalism abound and have largely embarrassed China.

In 2013, a boy was caught carving Chinese characters in the Luxor Temple in Egypt. In 2012, two Chinese passengers had a brawl over seating arrangements on a Swiss flight, forcing the aircraft to return.