The number of Chinese outbound tourists during the seven-day Spring Festival holiday reached 6.15 million, increasing 7 percent year on year, according to statistics released by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA). The craze of outbound travel in China heated up the global tourism market.

Data from Chinese travel services provider Ctrip suggested that Chinese tourists visited 1,254 cities in 85 countries and regions during the holiday. If per capita spending was 15,000 RMB ($2,183), then a total of 100 billion RMB may have been spent on 6 million overseas trips during the holiday, according to a report issued by Ctrip and China Tourism Academy (CTA).

However, the percentage of Chinese people who have experienced outbound travel is still low, which indicates the possibility of a huge market in the future. The demographic dividend of outbound tourism has not been fully released, said an employee of Chinese travel agency UTour Group. Currently, eastern China is the primary source of outbound tourists, but second- and third-tier cities will likely grow into a vast market in the future.

"Chinese citizens now see Spring Festival as a time for relaxation, rather than merely one for visiting relatives and social engagement," said Yang Yanfeng, an associate researcher with CTA. Analysts believe that favorable visa policies have contributed to the rise of outbound tourism in China. In addition, the annual number of week-long vacations in China has been reduced from three to two since 2008. As a result, more people now choose to travel during Spring Festival.