2016 to be record year for Chinese tourism

A record number of Chinese tourists are likely to travel outside the mainland this year, with Hong Kong the top destination, according to the report released by the China Tourism Academy and the financial services company UnionPay International. About 133 million tourists will make outbound trips by the end of 2016. The figure would mark an 11.5% rise on 2015, the South China Morning Post reports. Chinese tourists are increasingly getting involved in leisure activities and learning about local lifestyles when travelling overseas rather than just shopping, according to the report. Chinese tourists spent US$104.5 billion overseas last year, up 16.6% on 2014, and a growing number of foreign countries are relaxing their visa requirements for Chinese tourists to tap their purchasing power.