News
Tourism grows in Tibet
24 October 2006
Tourism in Tibet has shown rapid growth, with officials putting it down to the opening of a new railway.
Figures for the first nine months of 2006 show that visitor numbers reached 1.9m, an increase of 29% compared to the same period last year.
The statistics were released by government officials at a news conference where it was also revealed that revenue had increased to 2.3 billion yuan.
Other sectors such as hotels, transport and entertainment also benefited from the increased visitor numbers and retail sales increased by 18% compared to 2005.
The opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, which links Xining, in China, and Lhasa is the first railway ever to go to Tibet and was opened in a cloud of controversy.
Many critics say the railway, which crosses some of the world's most difficult terrain and at one point rises to 16,600 feet above sea level, will lead to the diluting of Tibetan culture.
The Chinese government says this is not the case and the link will remove the economic imbalances between the east and the west.
© Adfero Ltd
Figures for the first nine months of 2006 show that visitor numbers reached 1.9m, an increase of 29% compared to the same period last year.
The statistics were released by government officials at a news conference where it was also revealed that revenue had increased to 2.3 billion yuan.
Other sectors such as hotels, transport and entertainment also benefited from the increased visitor numbers and retail sales increased by 18% compared to 2005.
The opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, which links Xining, in China, and Lhasa is the first railway ever to go to Tibet and was opened in a cloud of controversy.
Many critics say the railway, which crosses some of the world's most difficult terrain and at one point rises to 16,600 feet above sea level, will lead to the diluting of Tibetan culture.
The Chinese government says this is not the case and the link will remove the economic imbalances between the east and the west.
© Adfero Ltd
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