Seven percent of citizens in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou have plans for overseas tours within a year, the Beijing Daily quoted ACNielsen company's recent survey as saying.

ACNielsen's survey in these three metropolises showed that 7 percent of citizens had overseas experiences in the past year, the newspaper reported.

The family incomes of most people having traveled abroad exceed 5,000 yuan per month (US$617), and over half of the people surveyed said the best duration of overseas travel is four to seven days.

Insiders said the yuan's recent appreciation has encouraged more Chinese people to travel abroad.

Of the people having overseas travel plans, 23 percent wish to go to Hong Kong, 16 percent to Singapore, 13 percent to Thailand, and 8 percent to the United States and France, the survey showed.

(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2005)