About 100 thousand Chinese tourists are expected to head to the World Cup in Russia. CGTN's Cui Hui'ao visited one travel agency in the southern city of Guangzhou to find out more.

GZL International Travel Service is one of Guangzhou's largest travel agencies. They say they've been planning for the 2018 FIFA World Cup since January. It is now organizing some 50 trips to Russia for the event.

KUANG XIN YI, SPOKESPERSON GZL INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL SERVICE LTD. "More than 1,000 people are going on our tours, which combine two world cup games, like a combo of semifinal and final, and a tour of Russia, including destinations like Moscow and St. Petersburg."

Kuang says most of their World Cup trips are 10 days long, costing between 60 and 100 thousand RMB, depending on the game and seat in the stadium. And sixty percent of their clients are couples traveling together. Though costing six times as much as usual, these trips to Russia sold out quickly, within days after the spots were opened.

KUANG XIN YI, SPOKESPERSON GZL INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL SERVICE LTD. "Sports tourism is a growing market. Compared to last World Cup which was held in Brazil, Russia is more travel-friendly for Chinese customers, with shorter flight time, an easier commute and less time difference. Plus, sightseeing wise, it has a lot to offer, and the world cup is the prime time to visit Russia, which usually runs from June to September."

So far, FIFA has confirmed that 2.4 million tickets have already been sold worldwide. Chinese soccer fans have bought over 40,000, putting it on the top ten list. Such popularity has driven up the price. According to data from China's largest online travel agency, Ctrip, hotel bookings in the host city have soared more than tenfold compared with the same period last year. And China's southern Airlines told CGTN that flights from Guangzhou to Moscow are fully booked for the coming days.

CUI HUI'AO GUANGZHOU "For the second straight World Cup, China's team failed to qualify. But that's not stopping Chinese fans from flying to Russia and enjoying the action. As much as they figure to like the grand event, one question lingers: when will they have the chance to cheer for their own team on the world cup stage again? Cui Hui'ao, CGTN, Guangzhou."