BEIJING - The Republic of Korea (ROK) will overtake Thailand to be the largest outbound destination for Chinese tourists in this year, said a report from China's leading online travel agency Ctrip.

Ctrip predicts the number of Chinese visitors to the ROK will jump 40 percent from a year ago in 2014, thanks to visa-free policy for Chinese visitors to Jeju Island, the most popular tourist attraction in the ROK.

In 2013, nearly 4 million trips to the ROK were made by Chinese tourists, the largest among foreign visitors, according to Ctrip.

Chinese airline companies have started to increase flights between the two nations to meet the growing demand. China Southern Airlines will operate three daily flights from south China's Guangzhou city to Seoul since July 15. Air China started non-stop flights between Beijing and Jeju Island on June 11.