CHINA - Chinese tourists aren't just traveling the world - they're redefining global travel.

The world's largest outbound tourism market is "dictating the international tourism map", according to Xu Jing, the UN World Tourism Organisation's Asia-Pacific director.

Some have even booked trips beyond the planet - on private space flights.

Ten per cent of the customers for XCOR Aeronautics' space flights are Chinese. The company is one of two offering viable flights within the next three years. US arms laws ban Chinese from Virgin Galactic flights.

The Antarctic and Arctic rank No 2 on a three-year wish list among China's "super travelers".

These are defined as people who take at least 18 trips a year and spend a minimum of $25,000 (S$31,874.25) on at least one excursion, according to Hurun's The Chinese Luxury Traveler (2014) report. Seven per cent of the 203 super-rich surveyed want to visit space in the next three years, the report says.

These trends, as well as the decline in Chinese travel to Southeast Asia, have dominated recent headlines.

The No 1 and No 3 destinations on the super-rich travelers' three-year wish list are Latin America - especially Bolivia - and Africa.

"When asked about their 'must-achieve' travel plans for the next three years, Bolivia took 36 per cent of the vote and topped the list, followed by polar trips with 34 per cent, while Africa ranked third and Mexico and Cuba tied for fifth place," the report says.

Trends in Chinese outbound travel are being shaped by the 98 million Chinese who headed overseas this year, an increase of nearly 18 per cent compared with last year, according to the report.

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Well-heeled travelers eye Latin America and Africa