A group of Chinese tourists visit the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia.[Photo/Xinhua]

Countries that used to be considered not so popular, such as Luxembourg, Monaco and Andorra, are also gaining ground with sophisticated travelers.

At the same time, countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative are also drawing Chinese travelers.

The number of Chinese visitors to countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Cambodia grew by 16 percent during the holiday, according to a report by China Unionpay.

Currently, nearly 129 million Chinese have passports, and the number is growing, says the Ministry of Public Security.

Chinese travelers have also become the top spenders over the years, and accounted for approximately one fifth of the total consumption by global outbound travelers, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

Chinese travelers spent $261 billion abroad in 2016,$11 billion more than 2015.

US travelers ranked second, and their consumption was half the Chinese spending.

Chinese travelers spent $541.4 million during Spring Festival, up 34.3 percent year-on-year.

But despite the top-spender tag, many Chinese now pay more attention to catering and recreational activities, says the China UnionPay report.

Chinese spending on recreation in Europe grew more than 20 percent year-on-year during the Spring Festival holiday.