The number of outbound tourists leaving China reached 37.92 million in the first five months this year, up 17.3 percent compared with the same period in 2012, according to China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) statistics.

 

Chinese nationals are set to remain an explosive force in global tourism. However more and more Chinese vacationers are turning away from tour-bus travel and frantic shopping trips, instead opting to upgrade their overall holiday experience by spending more on other things.

Even those still traveling in groups are looking for a more tailored experience, says Conor Yang, chief financial officer of online Chinese travel agency Tuniu, which offers tours that include smaller guided visits and standard larger bus trips.
 

By 2020, purchases by such individual Chinese tourists abroad—on travel, food, accommodation, entertainment and shopping—will overtake that of tour groups, which currently dominate spending, according to data from the Boston Consulting Group.