Chinese outbound trips may exceed 115 mln this year  

国家旅游局局长：今年中国出境规模有望超1.15亿人次

Beijing (CNS) – Chinese outbound tourism is expected to set a new record this year with trips exceeding 115 million, Shao Qiwei, director of the China National Tourism Administration, said on Wednesday at a tourism promotion activity hosted by the US Embassy.

Shao said between January and May this year, Chinese outbound trips increased by 18.8 percent over the same period in 2013.

A report released by the China Tourism Academy shows that 98.19 million Chinese traveled abroad in 2013.

Compared to the increasing outbound tourism market, inbound tourist numbers decreased in 2013, Shao added.

Shao said that he welcomed more American tourists to visit China. In 2013, a total of 4.05 million people from both sides traveled to each other's countries, compared to 2.56 million in 2008.

China is the fifth biggest overseas tourist source for the US, according to statistics, with over 1.8 million Chinese traveling to the country last year. The US Department of Commerce predicts that trips will double by 2017.