Growing middle class globe-trotters sign of great potential

For those who are bearish on the Chinese economy, they need to square their assumptions of dim growth prospects for the world's second-largest economy with the seemingly unstoppable rise of outbound Chinese tourists.

If China was really heading for a hard landing, it is more than likely that its people should have generally been feeling the pinch and, as a precaution, postponed, if not abandoned, their planned overseas tours.

But that is not what seems to be happening.