"I'm not going overseas just for scenic spots, but to experience life and different cultures," said Beijing's Deng Qian, 26, who is a project manager with an English learning app and an inveterate high-spending tourist.
In fact, from around 50% of a trip's overall expense, shopping's share has dropped to around 30%. Instead, Deng focuses on "experiences"－bed-and-breakfast facilities are in; star hotels and shopping are out.
The trend started in 2015, two years after China became the world's largest source of tourists. Last year, 131 million Chinese mainland tourists traveled to Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and the rest of the world, according to a June report from the China Tourism Academy (CTA).
They spent more than USD 115 billion outside the mainland, 5% more than in 2016. But shopping expenses fell by about 10%, it said.
As for the future, outbound tourism is expected to grow at about 5% in the next five years, said Dai Bin, president of CTA.
Li Lei, an analyst from global consultancy firm Roland Berger, said: "The consumption demand of Chinese travelers is still strong. What has changed is that they are more willing to pay for things that can bring deeper, richer experiences.
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