An art installation in front of the Sydney Opera House, proves a major draw for tourists. Beijing's temple fairs [Photo/China Daily]

Spain has developed a group of Chinese-friendly hotels that feature Chinese menus, Chinese TV channels and other services, while some US hotels briefed their staff on how to attend to Chinese guests and arranged special celebrations for the Lunar New Year.

More Chinese also chose to go abroad for the holiday because the domestic tourism market is "bursting at the seams", Jiang points out.

For those who stayed in the country, there were more than enough tourism attractions to keep them happily occupied.

The report points out that most domestic travelers sought out hot springs and ice and snow entertainment. People who wanted to escape the snow and the cold headed south to where they could enjoy warmer weather.

Various hot springs across Jilin province were packed with tourists, and likewise, local ski resorts.

Other hot spring scenic spots in Jiangsu, Guizhou and Hunan provinces also drew large numbers of tourists. Hotels in these spots were fully booked during the holiday.

The number of tourists who flew to Hainan province to escape the cold increased by 4.44 percent year-on-year and those who drove to the island grew by 5.85 percent during the holiday. Local high-end hotels saw occupancy rates of about 80 percent.