Chinese tourists spend an average of US$3,000 per overseas trip, a recent survey has found.

The total includes money for shopping sprees abroad, luxurious accommodation and expenses prior to the trip.

The survey, conducted by the Nielsen Company and Pacific Asia Travel Association, showed travelers to Europe to be the biggest spenders, splashing out an average of $5,253 per trip.

In comparison, those holidaying in Asia spent about $1,900 per person.

The exceptions were those traveling to Hong Kong and Macao - the long-preferred shopping and entertainment destinations for Chinese - whose average spend was US$2,185.

Grace Pan, head of travel and leisure research for the Nielsen Company, China, said: "Asia remains the most popular destination for Chinese travelers because of the proximity.

"However, trips to Europe and America are becoming increasingly popular, particularly when you add in the number of business travelers."

Affluent market

"We also found that while mass-market travelers focus on budget travel, there is a fast-emerging affluent market segment prepared to indulge in luxury travel," Pan said.

The survey found that more than one-third of Chinese overseas travelers choose to stay in four-star hotels, with a further 10 percent opting for five-star accommodation.

Pan said consumers were also becoming more sophisticated and better prepared when planning their trips, using all the information available to them on the Internet.

The survey found that nearly seven in 10 leisure travelers accessed destination websites, and about six in 10 used online travel discussion forums to source information.

The Internet is the most popular source of information for potential travelers, followed by travel agents and other media such as newspapers and magazines.

While the majority of tourists still uses travel agents (61 percent), 29 percent prefer online travel services and 16 percent go via hotel or transport operators' websites.

Holiday bookings made via the Internet are predicted to increase.

PATA Strategic Intelligence Center director John Koldowski said: "Last year, Chinese made 35 million overseas trips, and the figures are expected to rise dramatically."

(China Daily October 30, 2007)