The shopping lure of Europe

What distinguishes Europe from the other tourism destinations for Chinese travelers? Maybe it's shopping.

The European Travel Commission estimates that this year 8 million Chinese tourists will visit Europe, a 50-percent increase since 2010. According to the China Tourism Academy, in 2013 shopping accounted for the biggest expenditure for Chinese tourists abroad and amounted to more than 50 percent of the average travelers' total spend on holidays, up from about 33 percent in 2012.

With an average budget of $1,100 a day, excluding accommodation, Chinese tourists spend more than those from any other country when they go on holiday.