Chinese tourists world's biggest spenders

China is increasingly having a major impact on the global economy with its resources and a huge population and Chinese tourists have now emerged as the world’s biggest spenders.

According to industry sources Tuesday, one in 10 tourists around the world is Chinese, totaling 97.3 million last year, traveling around for tourism and vacationing purposes.

All together, the Chinese tourists spent a total of $129 billion, far distancing second placed United States with $86 billion.

As for spending per tourist, the Chinese also took the top spot with $1,130, double the Russians, each of whom spent $494, the sources said.

Asked about the importance of shopping while traveling, 80 percent of the Chinese responded positively, followed by 56 percent of those from the Middle East and 48 percent from Russia.

However, they said, this is just the beginning. At present, only 5 percent of the Chinese population currently holds passports.

The sources said the number of Chinese travelers will double by 2020 with the total spending increase by three-fold.