Chinese tourists spend lots of money abroad

The Chinese Lunar New Year is not only a gala for domestic retail sales, but a feast for overseas retailers, too.

Some 1,200 Chinese tourists celebrated the lunar New Year in New York between Feb 14 and 20, spending an estimated $6 million in the United States, said Zheng Wenqing, a public relations manager for New York Tourism Board's China office.

Japanese retailers also reaped gains from Chinese tourists during the week. A local home appliance retailer, Bic Camera, reported that its store in Akihabara, Tokyo, saw its sales increase by 20 to 30 percent thanks to Chinese tourists, Japan-based Chinese language newspaper Jnocnews reported.