China Biggest Source of Tourists

Fresh data from China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) suggests China was the biggest source of outbound tourism from 2013 to 2016.

The data were cited in the NBS'S recent reports on China's achievements in its 40 years of reform and opening-up, which indicated that the number of Chinese people visiting different regions and nations has risen from five million in 1995 to 135 million in 2016, with annual growth averaging 17.6 percent. The growth raised China's ranking in outbound tourism from 17th in 1995 to number one in 2013.

The reports did not reveal the relevant data for 2017, but a 2017 report jointly published by China Tourism Academy and the popular tourism platform Ctrip cited data from the former China National Tourism Administration as saying that in 2017, Chinese visits to foreign regions and nations reached around 130 million, the highest worldwide.

The Chinese yuan's appreciation and China's fast economic growth over recent years are believed to be major drivers of the outbound tourism boom. According to the NBS, Chinese tourists spent a total of US$261.1 billion abroad in 2016, more than 70 times that in 1995.