'2nd wave' of Chinese tourism attracts global attention

At 12 of its retail outlets across Europe, London-based McArthurGlen Group launched a series of promotions during the Spring Festival holiday, advertising on Chinese social media and providing discounts in its stores.

In New York, the high-end department store Bloomingdale's put up decorations featuring a giant Chinese coin towering above a blanket of red flowers.

It was not always like this. Shi Xiang, director of the CNTA in Frankfurt, recalls that Western countries lacked interest in Chinese tourism promotion in the early 1980s, when China's opening-up began.

In 2013, Chinese tourists spent $129 billion abroad－more than any other source market in the world, according to the UNWTO.

In the first quarter of 2014, the average expenditure of Chinese tourists in Germany was 575 euros ($642) per person, the highest among all the countries.

Analysts believe the upward trend of Chinese outbound tourism will continue in 2015, thanks to a favorable visa environment and more supportive policies. They say information technology will also boost the growth of overseas travel.

"The prospect of China's outbound tourism is bright," Shi says.

This will benefit not only economies in destination countries, but also mutual understanding and cultural exchanges.