China's outbound tourism during the Spring Festival holiday saw strong growth despite rising prices.

According to a domestic online travel agency, the number of China's outbound tourists increased almost 30%.

Statistics released by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) showed that the price for Middle East and European tours rose 15%, and the price for Phuket and Saipan Island tours climbed by 30%.

Yu Lan, director of the Outbound Tourism Department, said Japan, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are still the main destinations although travel to to Australia, the US and Europe also increased, Global Times reported.

The reasons for the increase are complex. The report quoted Wolfgang Georg Arlt, director of Germany's China Outbound Tourism Research Institute, as saying, "The importance of outbound travel to increase status back home means that the decision to travel abroad is not just a personal leisure measure, it is also a kind of investment in oneself."