SINGAPORE - Tourist destinations worldwide are seeing a boom in Chinese tourists, and Singapore is no exception.

Data from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) shows that visitors from China spent an estimated $3.52 billion in Singapore in 2016, a whopping 39 per cent - nearly $1 billion - increase from 2015.

This was the second year in a row that China has emerged as Singapore's top-spending market, beating out Indonesia which has traditionally been the top spender. There were 2.86 million Chinese visitors, up 36 per cent from 2015.

Going by the results of a survey of more than 3,000 Chinese travellers by online travel booking site Hotels.com released on Tuesday (July 18), the tide of Chinese tourists will not be ebbing soon.

It found that Singapore is the top city in Asia Pacific that Chinese travellers want to visit in the next 12 months.

This was followed by Sydney, while third place was shared by Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Gold Coast.

The online accommodation-booking website had commissioned Ipsos, a global market research firm, to carry out the survey in April and May this year.

This is its sixth Chinese International Travel Monitor report.

When picking a holiday destination, safety is paramount for Chinese travellers. They also tend to prioritise destinations with historical and heritage value, and those that offer activities on their bucket list, the 74-page report noted.

Singapore ticks all the right boxes as it has a reputation as a safe city and boasts a colourful heritage and "a kaleidoscope of cultures", said Hotels.com.

"Taking a selfie at the infinity pool of Marina Bay Sands is likely part of Chinese travellers' bucket list," it added.

According to STB data, more visitors from secondary cities in China such as Chengdu or Nanjing have been coming to Singapore.

The report highlighted the enormous potential for growth in the number of Chinese travellers and their spending power.