International Spending By Mainland Chinese Tourists Rises Whopping 21% In 2009 As spending on outbound tourism by travelers in developed markets like France, Germany, the UK and the US plummeted last year amid the global financial slump, mainland Chinese tourists -- the ranks of which have swelled as more middle-class Chinese start to take their first trips abroad -- leapfrogged the French to become the world's fourth-largest tourism spenders. According to figures released by the United Nations World Tourism Organization this week, Chinese tourists spent a total of $44 billion outside the country last year, a staggering 21% rise over the year before, putting them behind only Germany, the U.S. and the U.K. in international spending. As Jing Daily pointed out in January, this spending is mainly powered by middle-class -- rather than super-rich -- travelers, many of whom see tourism less as a cultural experience and more of a chance to buy luxury goods cheaper than they can at home. This focus on shopping -- which has led to Chinese tourists wiping out French duty free, outspending Japanese tourists 2-to-1 at South Korean luxury malls, and spending $6 million in one fell swoop in New York over Chinese New Year. What's important to note is that this apparently insatiable spending is generally not as unabashedly selfish as it may seem -- most middle-class tourists of moderate means, who tend to be on the young side in China, are not just shopping for themselves, they're bringing back items chosen (and paid for) by friends who want to sidestep China's high luxury tax. From AFP (via the Sydney Morning Herald): The World Tourism Organisation estimated that the number of Chinese tourists visiting foreign destinations will number 100 millions by 2020, up from from 31 million in 2005 when it was the seventh biggest spender on foreign travel. "China is developing very quickly as a source market," World Tourism Organisation spokeswoman Sandra Carvao said. Although Chinese tourists still tend to travel to nearby Asian countries, which is understandable since most outbound Chinese tourists can't afford trips to the U.S. or Europe, the World Tourism Association noted that they expect record numbers of mainlanders to venture further outward as travel restrictions continue to ease. This fits with previous projections cited by Jing Daily in March of sustainable 9% growth in the Chinese outbound tourism market in coming years. With figures like these, it's no surprise high-end retailers around the world continue to put a premium on hiring Mandarin-speaking staff.