Travel websites tip surge in outbound holiday travel

The upcoming Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays are expected to be peak seasons for outbound Chinese travel, according to the country's online travel agencies.

Shanghai-based Ctrip, China's largest online travel service provider, said its overseas business income now accounts for 35 percent of total revenue.

Despite challenges like a depreciated yuan and uncertainty in the global economy, Ctrip still has “high expectations and hopes” for the Chinese and global tourism industry, said Sun Jie, CEO of the company.

Amidst continued efforts to tap global demand, Ctrip also recently became the largest shareholder of India-based travel agency MakeMyTrip.

Another Chinese travel website, Tuniu, also expects booming outbound business during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which start on Friday. About a quarter of users chose overseas destinations on Tuniu, and this number will increase during the week-long National Holiday period in October.

The most popular overseas destinations include Japan, Thailand, Germany, Russia and France. Shanghai residents are the most eager to take trips abroad, said Tuniu.