China has stopped its citizens from booking overseas tours as part of the country's efforts to curtail the spread of coronavirus in a further blow to Australia's beleaguered tourism operators.

State media reported that the China Tourism Association had halted all domestic holiday hotel and flight bookings through travel agencies on Friday and announced on Saturday it would do the same for outbound tour groups.

Chinese tourists have become a fixture of Australian capital cities - including on the jacaranda-lined streets of Kirribilli in Sydney - and have put billions into local economies. Credit:Edwina Pickles

The move puts at risk about a quarter of the travellers Australia receives from China - its biggest international tourist market - every year and compounds the woes of operators who are already expecting fewer customers as a result of the bushfires.

The travel booking ban, which goes into effect on Monday, comes as Chinese authorities grapple with a public health crisis that has claimed 56 lives and resulted in almost 2000 confirmed cases.