BEIJING - Tourist spending from the Chinese mainland is expected to see a big surge this year, with sightseeing and ecotourism topping the list, a survey has found.

About 80 percent of holidaymakers from the Chinese mainland, 70 percent from Hong Kong and 65 percent from Taiwan said they intend to spend more on leisure travel this year, according to the latest findings by Travelzoo Asia Pacific, a US-based Internet media company.

Mainland subscribers to Travelzoo, it appears, will spend more on leisure travel this year than their counterparts from Hong Kong and Taiwan, with an average spending of $3,780 a person this year. Hong Kong and Taiwan subscribers will spend on average $2,670 and $1,782 each, said the survey, which interviewed its 4,200 subscribers over the period between Jan 4 and Jan 12.