Chinese outbound consumption reached 1.5 trillion yuan ($226.15 billion) in 2015, of which about half was spent on shopping, according to the Ministry¹ of Commerce.

 

中国商务部表示，2015年中国境外消费达到1.5万亿元（2261.5亿美元），其中一半花费于购物。

 

However, during the same period, international travelers spent 384.6 billion yuan in China, a mere² 2.94 percent increase from a year earlier, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.

 

On one hand, some foreign tourists are reluctant to come to China as a result of problems such as overcharging and cheating in services. On the other hand, some countries have relaxed their visa policies and have improved their services to attract more Chinese travelers, Economic Information Daily reported.

 

Gao Hucheng, minister of commerce, said earlier that Chinese outbound consumption reached 1.5 trillion yuan in 2015. Of which, at least 700 billion yuan to 800 billion yuan were spent on shopping.

 

Middle- and high-income groups accounted for a considerable proportion of the Chinese shoppers abroad, with their shopping preference shifting from the luxury brands and high-end products to high-quality, cost-effective goods suitable for daily consumption.

 

Easing travel restrictions³, good services and attractive prices remain the key drivers underpinning⁴ the Chinese outbound tourism growth story, the newspaper said.

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