China's transition to a consumption-led economy is boosting the global tourism industry. The number of international tourists from China rose 53 percent in 2015 from the year before, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, a London-based noNPRofit that researches global tourism.
Over the last five years, the number of Chinese travelers doubled to 120 million people; one in ten international travelers is now from China.
The number of tourists into China also grew, but slightly, at just 2.2 percent in 2015. Tourism supported 65 million jobs in China, and made up 7.9 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. Nearly 57 million foreign travelers came to China that year, spending more than $57 billion.
But that figure is far less than the amount Chinese tourists are spending on their overseas trips. Last year, travelers from China spent $215 billion outside the country.