TORONTO — According to global accommodation booking website Hotels.com, the number of Chinese travellers increased 20 per cent to 107 million in 2014. But where are they headed? According to the survey, Australia, Japan and France are the most desired destinations for them to visit in the next 12 months.

Surveying more than 3,000 Chinese international travellers and 1,500 hoteliers from around the world, the annual Hotels.com Chinese International Travel Monitor (CITM) examines the growth trends in mainland Chinese international travellers and the impact this is having on the global travel industry.

The findings show that the number of outbound Chinese travellers could reach 174 million in the next four years, with spending of $342 billion annually, according to forecasts.

According to 2015 searches on Hotels.com from greater China, the most visited destinations in Canada were Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal; followed by Markham, Ont., Banff, Alta., Niagara Falls, Ont., Calgary, Victoria and Whistler, B.C. Although Toronto is the most popular overall destination for international travellers, according to the latest Hotel Price Index (HPI) Vancouver and four other Western cities are top spots among Chinese travellers.

Of the landmarks outside China they’d most like to visit in their lifetimes, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt and Mount Fuji top their wish list, with Canada’s Niagara Falls ranking the eighth spot.

“This year’s report is another wake-up call to host countries around the world to pull out all the stops to accommodate Chinese travellers and tailor their services for this market as the potential is huge,” said Abhiram Chowdhry, VP and managing director Asia Pacific for the Hotels.com brand. “These new globetrotters really enjoy travelling. They are younger, more independent, highly tech-savvy, happy to spend — and they know exactly what they want.”

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