Zhou Chao prefers homestays to hotels.

Price is part of the appeal.

The Beijing resident booked a two-bedroom apartment in Osaka for 800 yuan ($127), which is about 200 or 300 yuan cheaper than the neighborhood's economy hotels.

"There's usually a kitchen and washing machine so I can cook and do laundry," he says.

Zhou believes sharing-economy accommodation also enables him to live like locals and interact with interesting people.

Chinese made over 130 million overseas trips last year, 7 percent more than in 2016. Visitors from the world's largest source of outbound travelers spent $115.2 billion, or 5 percent more than in 2016, the China Tourism Academy reports.

A growing number are staying in sharing-economy lodging.

Major Chinese travel-accommodation platform Tujia's trading volumes grew fivefold and available housing grew threefold last year, chief operating officer Yang Changle says.