As might surprise no one who’s watched the rise in Chinese travelers world-wide, China is now the world’s largest souce of outound tourism, with 130 million trips racked up last year.
China’s Tourism Academy and the CTrip travel service estimate those travelers spent nearly $130 billion while on the road. The survey also found that Chinese travelers are more concerned about living conditions and services, rather than shopping and sightseeing.
Top destinations for Chinese travelers include Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, the US, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Maldives
I’m glad to see more Chinese nationals traveling. But I’m a little surprised by the math of it all. 130 million people spending 130 billion dollars only works out to a thousand dollars a person. I can’t imagine a vacation anywhere, with perhaps the exception of camping, that’s that inexpensive — even if you exclude airfare. Rooms, food, transportation, admission, shopping. These things add up pretty quickly.
I presume when they say “while on the road”, they refer to the expenditure during travel. Accommodation, food, etc. might be included in the package – booked and pre-paid in China.