Festival rush to celebrate abroad

The Chinese mainland ranked No 1 for both the number of outbound tourists and their spending last year, and it is expected to retain its leading position this year.

According to China's National Tourism Administration, 120 million tourists from the Chinese mainland travelled abroad in 2015, spending 11,625 yuan ($1,766) per capita.

While mainland tourists have long been known for their predilection for splashing their cash on duty free luxury goods, their spending in department stores and on hotels, dining and entertainment is also rising.

This trend is highlighted by the growing visibility and acceptance overseas of China's most popular payment card. Delivering on its strategy of "going where the Chinese go", UnionPay became the largest payment-card network in the world last year, with a global network of 27 million merchants and 1.9 million ATMs in more than 150 countries and regions.

The card company predicts 6 million Chinese tourists will be celebrating the upcoming Spring Festival overseas and it is rolling out a special New Year campaign to tap into their spending.

It is not the only one trying to benefit from mainland tourists growing wanderlust.

The upward spending that is accompanying the outbound tourism trend has drawn extensive attention in destination countries, and many popular destinations now cater to and seek to attract Chinese tourists by offering Chinese language services and Chinese-speaking guides.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 01/30/2016 page10)