There has been a huge rise in travel searches relating to China originating from the United Kingdom, according to a survey by a leading global travel search engine Skyscanner.

Skyscanner's statistics show that Beijing and Shanghai are the two most popular Chinese cities for British tourists.

China is now the fourth most popular long-haul destination for UK tourists.

Flight searches for China rose by 136 percent over the year, the largest recorded rise.

The Middle East, with a rise of 88 percent and Canada, with a rise of 62 percent, came second and third.

According to China National Tourism Administration, the number of British tourists in the first half of 2013 was 304,600.

Bao Yi, Skyscanner's general manager for Greater China, said: "British tourists are more adventurous than before, and are showing more interest in China. China is on its way to becoming the first choice as a long-haul destination for the British."