Russia was fourth, followed by Japan and New Zealand, the survey of 25,000 respondents done by Global Times newspaper said.
The rest of top 10 were Iceland, Switzerland, France, and Italy.
Vietnam was absent from the list though China sent the largest number of tourists to the country before Covid.
According to industry insiders, the top-ranked countries have friendly visa policies for Chinese tourists.
Thailand and Singapore recently announced visa exemptions for Chinese visitors, and the Maldives allows them to apply on arrival.
The Lunar New Year falls on Saturday, Feb. 10 and is widely celebrated in many Asian countries including Vietnam.
Data from Chinese online travel agency Ctrip reveals tour bookings to Southeast Asia is up 1,026% from last year and air travel by 864%, China Daily reported.