A Chinese family visit Sydney, Australia. [Photo/ China Daily]

Statistics show that traveling abroad is gaining in popularity among the Chinese people, with travelers spending more on experiences instead of seeking shopping opportunities. As this trend has developed, female tourists have become the dominant demographic among outbound travelers.

According to Tuniu, a leading travel booking website in China, customer bookings increased 34 percent in 2016 compared to the previous year.

Tuniu's data shows that Chinese tourists are increasingly traveling greater distances. The top 10 choices last year were Thailand, Japan, South Korea, France, Italy, Indonesia, Switzerland, the US, Germany and Australia. In 2015, the top spots were Phuket in Thailand, Cheju in South Korea, Bali in Indonesia, Maldives, Okinawa in Japan, Saipan, Boracay Island of the Philippines, Sabah of Malaysia, Sumei in Thailand, and Hawaii.

A group of Chinese tourists visit Seychelles. [Photo/ China Daily]

Last year, 62% of Tuniu clients were female. Female customers also dominated numbers among people making multiple trips abroad.With increasing household income, more parents in China would like to bring their children with them on trips abroad. In 2016, customers under 18 years old increased by 110%, becoming the fastest growing client group.

While tourists from China's first-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai are growing smoothly, tourist numbers from second and third-tier cities are said to be booming.

As more tourist destinations became visa-free for China in 2016, China was once again first-overall globally in terms of the number of people traveling abroad, and for tourism spending.