Tourism visa applications by Chinese to Pakistan jumped by nearly fortyfold in the first half of the year, according to a report released on Friday.

Closer relations between the two countries are driving the surge, one travel official said, while netizens also cited Pakistan's firm support for China on the South China Sea issue.

In the first six months of the year, Chinese tourists began shifting their sights to less famous or not traditionally popular tourism destinations, and "Pakistan is a dark horse", said a report by Ctrip, a leading online travel agency in China. No precise visa numbers were released.