Getting the signal

Photo provided to China Daily

Jin Na was billed nearly 4,000 yuan ($640) to make three micro blog posts when traveling in Russia in 2010.

While her case is arguably extreme, many Chinese are discovering that using the Internet while traveling abroad can cost more than they bargained for.

Consequently, about 10 percent of outbound Chinese tourists are getting around exorbitant roaming charges by using 3G-powered smartphone Wi-Fi transmitters, travel website Ctrip says in a report released in April last year.

About 90 percent of the "several thousand" Chinese travelers from 78 cities Ctrip polled consider Wi-Fi indispensable when traveling.

They prefer travel agencies that offer free Wi-Fi.

Most Chinese instantly update their social networks using their mobile phones, says Yang Yanfeng, a researcher with the China Tourism Academy's Institute of Tourism Industry and Enterprise Development.

"Chinese tourists send photos and short videos to friends and family when traveling abroad, and some share travelogues online," Yang says.

"Individual travelers often use phone apps to create itineraries and book hotels."

Such activities require large data flows that can be expensive without Wi-Fi, he explains.