The Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan are also attracting Chinese tourists during the golden holidays.

Prior to the May Day holiday, ROK airlines announced that the number of air routes between China and ROK would increase to 50 in the coming five years.

In addition, economic centers of China, ROK and Japan, namely Shanghai, Pusan and Osaka, have formed a "tourism triangle" and plan to jointly explore the tourist market in Europe after the May Day holiday.

Liu Bin, an economist on tourism, said with summer approaching, the cooler parts of northern Asia represented by Russia and Mongolia will become new attractions for Chinese tourists.

Sources said some two-way tourist organizations are busy organizing more Chinese tourists to visit Russia this year amid the celebration of the Sino-Russia year.

Some Chinese airlines have moved to ensure a share in the new tourism market. The China Southern Airlines opened its fifth China-Russia route this week, linking Beijing with Irkutsk. Hainan Airlines also announced the imminent opening of a route to St. Petersburg in Russia.

Liu said China's flood of tourists will not only benefit the economies of neighboring countries, but also work as a ligament to strengthen friendship between China and its neighbors.