Number of foreign tourists visiting Tibet increases

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Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region received nearly 40,000 foreign tourists from January to April, up 50.5 percent compared with the previous year, regional authorities announced Sunday.

May 10, 2018: Foreign tourists learn Tibetan traditional dance from the native in Shannan City, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. /VCG Photo

According to the regional tourism development committee, the region received 26.7 million US dollars of tourism revenue during the period, a year-on-year increase of 50.7 percent.

In the meantime, Tibet received nearly 2.7 million domestic tourists, up 63.5 percent year on year.

Due to low oxygen levels and temperatures, winter tourism on the plateau is less popular than in summer.

August 17, 2017: Foreign tourists take photos in the square in front of the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. /VCG Photo

The regional government has introduced favorable policies, including free admission to 115 A-Class scenic areas, discounted hotels, and air tickets, and other services to attract tourists.

The region has made efforts to improve infrastructure in recent years, which has helped promote tourism.

Jan. 6, 2017: The aerial view of the Lhasa North Beltway, the world's highest-altitude beltway, in Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. /VCG Photo

Tibet now has 79 air routes, 90,000 kilometers of roads, and 954 kilometers of railways. Up to 99 percent of villages in the region are connected to roads. High-grade highways linking Lhasa to Gongar airport, Gongar airport to Tsetang, Lhasa to Nyingchi, etc., have opened to traffic, reaching 660 kilometers from 37 kilometers in 2012.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: File photo of a foreign tourist taking photos with Tibetan ladies in Shannan City, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, May 10, 2018. /VCG Photo)