Chinese travellers to hit 100m but spending to slow

China will surpass the milestone of 100 million overseas tourists a year earlier than expected but the growth of Chinese tourist spending will slow as a result of the continuing crackdown on corruption, predicts the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute.

From July 1 to June 30 next year, 106 million Chinese tourists will travel abroad and spend US$129 billion, the Germany-based institute forecast. This is earlier than the United Nations World Tourism Organisation's forecast that the mark will be reached for the first time in 2015.

Last year, 83 million Chinese travelled abroad and their spending soared 40 per cent to US$102 billion, overtaking the Germans as the top tourist spenders, according to the UN agency.

But for the 12-month period from July 1 to June 30, Chinese tourist spending will grow 17 per cent, considerably slower than the 40 per cent growth last year, said institute director Wolfgang Georg Arlt.

"The new Chinese government's campaign against hedonism and extravagance will have some impact on official outbound travels, which will be cancelled out by the growing demand for leisure trips, especially from second- and third-tier cities in China," said Arlt.