China plans to send 150 million travellers to countries along the Belt and Road in the next five years, whose travelling spending likely to top $200 billion.[Photo/Xinhua]

China's spending in the tourism sector is likely to triple by 2020, to three trillion yuan ($460 billion).

China invested more than one trillion yuan in the sector last year, an increase of 42 percent from one year earlier, Li Jinzao, head of China National Tourism Administration, said at the ongoing First World Conference on Tourism for Development.

The sector contributed 10.8 percent to GDP last year and created 10.2 percent of new jobs, according to Li.

Li expects the number of outbound travellers to exceed 600 million in the next five years.

Li said China plans to send 150 million travellers to countries along the Belt and Road in the next five years, whose travelling spending likely to top $200 billion.