CRI听力:Chinese Tourists' Tastes on the Move

Zhang Congcong is 23 and a student at Sichuan University. She's just returned from a tour organized trip to Lijiang in Yunnan and Sanya in Hainan.

"I liked Sanya, there's great seafood there. I could dive under the sea and see all the fishes around me."

According to China's National Tourism Administration, in the last few years there has been 10% year on year increase in domestic tourists. With bigger wallets and less restrictions, Chinese people are eager to see the rest of their vast nation.

Chinese tourists are also venturing abroad in droves - a staggering 83 million went abroad in 2012. As of last year China is now the biggest source of tourism dollars globally.

Some countries are leaning over backwards to woo Chinese tourists. Companies on Australia's Great Barrier Reef are training Chinese-speaking guides. Another entrepreneur out of Sydney is building a theme park aimed at the market.

South Korean companies have been introducing tailored wedding packages. French tourism authorizes are creating education packages for restaurants and hotels with simple Chinese phrases.

Internally, since the 1970's, Chinese tourists have been traveling to destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Hangzhou, Sanya, and Chengdu.

Previously most tourists went with tour groups organized through one of China's 25,000 travel agencies. While this skips the headache of organizing trips, many tourists are getting sick of being pushed around by commercial minded guides. Zhang Congcong agrees.

"When you travel with a group, you have no way to know how good the meals and hotels will be. The worst bit is you're are forced to go shopping. And the schedules can be so tight and you feel like you miss some things."

With tight margins, many operators both in China and abroad try to make up the difference by forcing tourists to visit shops they have agreements with.

After a few incidents, including a case where tourists were locked out of their hotels in Hong Kong when they tried to avoid shopping, the China National Tourism Agency banned all undisclosed shopping stops. This comes as a relief for travelers like Zhang Congcong, but she says more could be done.

"I guess I think the government should try to make operators become more transparent and fair for travelers. Just so we know more about the agenda, the hotels, restaurants, scenic sports. I wouldn't even mind paying more, if you can guarantee the quality of tour. I also think the government should do more to enforce regulations on travel agencies to stop all the forced shopping trips."

With more Chinese people traveling both in China and abroad, tastes are moving towards more independent travel and more authentic experiences. I went down to Dashilar, a historical area of Beijing. Resident Linlin tells me it's one of the more important areas of the city.

"I think it has relevance to contemporary china, this is one of the oldest part of the city we are on the south side of Tiananmen Square, so it represents the capital the most."

But authorities, worried about the safety and hygiene of older buildings, often renovate tourists spots in China by tearing down the old buildings and making replicas. What's more, with the crowds come touts and souvenir shops. Linlin says this can make people feel like the experience is inauthentic.

"You have all these shops selling poor quality food and products and people come in and feel like they are a tourist and trapped. And, to be honest, this is a very misunderstood area because what it used to be was actually amazing and authentic. However, nowadays there are a lot of imitations of shops and the representations of what it used to be here which doesn't do the history justice."

But Linlin tells me things are changing. A government program to fund less intrusive renovations of existing hutongs has begun in the area and entrepreneurs are keen to get on board.

That was Primrose Riordan with the report.