China ranks first worldwide for outbound tourists

BEIJING - China had the world's largest number of outbound tourists in 2015, according to data from the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA).

About 120 million Chinese traveled overseas in 2015, up from 109 million the previous year, according to the CNTA.

This was an increase of 19.5 percent year on year and nearly 13 times the level in 1998, CNTA data showed. The increase in outbound tourists is attributed to more relaxed visa policies and rising disposable incomes, according to the CNTA.

Meanwhile, China's booming domestic tourism market saw over 4 billion journeys in 2015, generating tourism revenue of over 4 trillion yuan ($620 billion).

Rural tourism will be promoted next year to help poverty relief in poor regions, said the CNTA.