Australia top tourism destination for China's 'Chuppies'

Australia tops the list of travel plans for China's new generation of yuppies, or Chuppies, a new survey shows.

More than half surveyed said they would travel to Australia, known for its wide open spaces, beach culture and pristine air, within the next two years, it said.

"Everyone talks about the burgeoning middle class of China and India and we're seeing it actually happening - they're turning up in good numbers," said Tourism Australia chief Andrew McEvoy.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) poll of 1,571 mainland Chinese came ahead of the launch of a new Australian tourism campaign in the country next month.

McEvoy said revenues from the Chinese market would double from 2.3 billion dollars (two billion US) a year within six to eight years.

"China's gone from being a market barely in our top 10 to number four and rising, and there's more capacity coming our way in terms of airlines putting more flights into Australia in the future," he said.