China produced 230 million outbound tourists in 2015 , with total retail spending of US$ 229bn , according to the latest analysis from market research firm GfK. The data confirms China as one of the main global sources of tourists , in terms of both number of trips and money spent during international travel . However , GfK notes that there have been " profound " changes in the the demographic of the typical Chinese traveller : " millennials " ( aged 15 - 29 ) now make up 50 % of China 's outbound travellers , compared with 37 % aged 30 - 44 and 10 % aged 45 - 59 . The size of the millennial group makes it a " commercially attractive " target audience for destinations looking to invest in Chinese tourism . Furthermore , GfK 's data shows that two - thirds ( 66 % ) of Chinese millennials belong to the high income bracket , with seven in ten classified as " white collar " executive or professional , with purchasing power expected to increase as their careers advance . While Hong Kong remains popular , China 's outbound tourists are increasingly travelling further afield , opting for destinations that can offer historical and cultural experiences , as well as shopping ; at the start of November 2015 , the top three destinations were South Korea , Thailand and Japan . Europe was the most popular destination outside Asia .
China produced 109 million outbound tourists in 2015, with total retail spending of US$229bn, according to the latest analysis from market research firm GfK. The data confirms China as one of the main global sources of tourists, in terms of both number of trips and money spent during international travel. However, GfK notes that there have been "profound" changes in the the demographic of the typical Chinese traveller: "millennials" (aged 15-29) now make up 50% of China's outbound travellers, compared with 37% aged 30-44 and 10% aged 45-59. The size of the millennial group makes it a "commercially attractive" target audience for destinations looking to bring in Chinese tourists. Furthermore, GfK's data shows that two-thirds (66%) of Chinese millennials belong to the high income bracket, with seven in ten classified as "white collar" executive or professional, with purchasing power expected to increase as their careers advance. While Hong Kong remains popular, China's outbound tourists are increasingly travelling further afield, opting for destinations that can offer historical and cultural experiences, as well as shopping; at the start of November 2015, the top three destinations were South Korea, Thailand and Japan. Europe was the most popular destination outside Asia.