SHANGHAI - The number of Chinese tourists to Europe grew in 2017 and is expected to keep surging in 2018, which marks the China-EU Tourism Year, a relevant report has shown.

In 2017, more than 6 million Chinese citizens visited European countries. Statistics showed that more people preferred personalized travel experiences and showed more interest in traditional European architecture and museums, according to the report launched by the China Tourism Academy and Chinese online travel agency giant Ctrip.

"The number of Chinese tourists to Europe surged by 65 percent in the first half of 2017, and their choice of European travel destinations have diversified," said Dai Bin, head of the academy, on Sunday.

According to statistics of Ctrip, Europe has become the second most popular destination for Chinese outbound tourists after Asia. The number of Chinese tourists that booked a trip to Europe through their platform increased by 26.3 percent compared with 2016, while the per capita consumption on the trip saw a year-on-year increase of 36 percent.

The opening ceremony of the China-European Union Tourism Year was held in Venice, Italy, last Friday. Business analysts believe that the 12-month-long initiative will help boost market growth.

According to Li Qiuyan, public relation chief of Lvmama, another domestic online travel agency, European countries such as France, Spain and Italy are expected to be popular destinations for Chinese tourists during the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year.