"Outbound travel has become a lifestyle for many," he said, adding the academy recorded a 16 percent rise in the number of overseas trips made by Chinese last year, to around 114 million.

The total spending of those international Chinese travelers rose even more, by 18 percent to $140 billion, said Dai.

Clearly aware of the surging numbers involved, overseas companies have been showing unprecedented interest in the Chinese cruise market.

Drawing cruise lines to China is the prospect of $11.5 billion in sales in 2018 compared with $6.8 billion last year, the researcher Euromonitor told Reuters recently.

US provider Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, which operates 37 ships under the Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Pullmantur, Azamara Cruises and CDF Croisieres de France brands, plans to launch a service using its massive Quantum of the Seas－the world's largest and newest ship－from Shanghai in June this year, a powerful illustration if any was needed of its confidence in the market.

Last year its business in China grew more than 40 percent, after a 45 percent growth the year before. Its chairman and chief executive officer now predicts the Chinese market will contribute 10 percent to its total revenue this year, well ahead of previous estimates.

"We are thrilled, for as a company, we make profits by exceeding the expectations of our guests," said Richard D. Fain, adding he would probably consider most of its customers worldwide as very much "middle class".

"The fact that there has been such a good reception to what we do, and our guests have enjoyed that, means we expect to continue to grow."

Fain said the Chinese market is exploding like no other, and thinks that "soon there will be more middle class in China than that in US".

"We have found that Chinese people are willing to pay for something better," he said.

"Therefore, we want to make sure that our brand and the products we offer are the very best in the industry. That's why we are bringing our newest ship here."