Chinese tourists will make more than 90 million trips by the end of this year, the country's top tourism official said in Chicago on Wednesday, estimating an unprecedented 100 million trips will be undertaken by Chinese tourists next year.

China has become the third-biggest recipient of tourists in the world and the biggest contributor to global tourism revenue, Shao Qiwei, head of China's National Tourism Administration, told a conference promoting cooperation between tourism authorities in China and the United States.

Chinese tourists spent more than $102 billion last year on overseas trips, Shao said, adding that each Chinese traveler spent an average of $5,948 in the US.