Biggest spenders
Chinese tourists had overtaken Germans as the world's biggest-spending travelers after a decade of robust growth in the number of Chinese holidaying abroad, the United Nations World Tourism Organization said.
Chinese tourists, known for traveling in organized tours, spent $102 billion on foreign trips in 2012, outspending deep-pocketed travelers from Germany and the United States.
Chinese tourists spent 41 percent more on foreign travel in 2012 than the year before, beating the close to $84 billion both German and US travelers parted with last year.
China is the world's fastest-growing tourist source market. Chinese tourists made 83 million foreign trips in 2012, compared to 10 million in 2000.
Other countries in the top 10 list including Japan and Australia posted growth in travel spending, though only Russia came close to China's huge growth, with a 32 percent increase in vacation budgets.
Reuters - China Daily
(China Daily 04/26/2013 page10)
