BEIJING - The number of outbound tourists leaving China reached 37.92 million in the first five months this year, up 17.3 percent compared with the same period in 2012, according to China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) statistics.

However, the number of overnight inbound tourists dropped, the administration said.

Inbound overnight visitors reached 22.93 million between January and May, down 4.06 percent over the same period last year.

Domestic travelers reached 998 million in the first quarter, up 14.1 percent, with domestic travel revenue standing at 765.7 billion yuan ($123.92 billion), up 18.4 percent, according to the administration.

In the second half of this year, China will further promote key markets and foster potential ones to develop its inbound traveling sector, said Zhu Shanzhong, deputy director of the CNTA.

China has the world's largest domestic tourism market and outbound Chinese tourists are the biggest spenders worldwide.