UK top draw for Chinese tourists, with visits surging by 30 percent

At the Burberry flagship store on Regent Street in London, Chinese tourists roughly account for 70 percent of all visitors most of the time.

"The drop in the pound value has made tourism cheap and cheerful, which makes UK more popular," says Shi.

Meanwhile, Chinese travel agencies have developed shopping-themed routes to cater to the trend.

Individual travel in London and accommodation at hotels near downtown subways or popular shopping blocks is arranged for travelers to better explore the country's shopping resources.

Ctrip is also working with local business to offer shopping discounts to Chinese travelers.

The per capita average spending of the Chinese now stands at 12,000 yuan ($1,770) and more than half of travelers to UK opt for trips that last for more than 10 days.

London, Edinburgh, Fort William, Manchester, Cambridge and Oxford are the most popular destinations for the Chinese.

Top 10 sources of Chinese travelers to UK

Shanghai

Beijing

Guangzhou, Guangdong province

Chengdu, Sichuan province

Shenzhen, Guangdong province

Hangzhou, Zhejiang province

Wuhan, Hubei province

Nanjing, Jiangsu province

Chongqing

Tianjin

(China Daily 07/15/2017 page17)