But the bulk of that growth was due to outbound travel from China, putting those Asian destinations at risk should Chinese tourists stay away as economic growth moderates further. Last year, more than 13% of visitors to Asia-Pacific destinations were from China, the highest proportion among all foreign travellers and more than double the figure of just under 6% recorded five years ago.
Visiting neighboring Asian countries is a cheaper and thus more accessible option for a greater portion of the Chinese population than more expensive trips to faraway European and Middle Eastern capitals.