A booming outbound tourism

In 2013, the number of outbound Chinese tourists reached 97.3 million person-times, a 20 percent rise than 2012. It is estimated it will reach 116 million person-times, according to China National Tourism Administration. In 2014, Chinese tourists overseas will have spent 155 billion dollars, a 20% rise compared to last year, according to a report by the China Tourism Academy.

"Chinese tourists oversea are willing to spend more on special cultural experiences and other in-depth tourism products, not only shopping and dining," says Dai Bin, dean of the China Tourism Academy. The report shows a growing number of tourism apps on smart phones that have become a popular way to book and plan oversea tours.

According to Ctrip, the travel agency which launched its English-language app this year, more than 10,000 tourism products were sold online for the October holiday to 442 destinations at home and abroad. About 90 percent of its popular routes were fully booked, it says. Self-driving tours appear to feature more in the rapidly-growing market which increase at a rate from 50 percent to 100 percent every year.

In August, bookings for travel products during the Golden Week reached its peak, resulting in a limited number of flights and hotels left, and surging prices, according to Ctrip.

Prices for domestic flights t in the beginning of October are only second to the peak prices during the Spring Festival.