Tibet Qomolangma Tourist-dedicated Train will be opened in June 2013

To attract more tourists and provide convenience for tourists planning a Tibet tour, the Tibet Qomolangma Tourist-dedicated Train will be opened to tourists in June 2013.

It is reported that the Qomolangma Tourist-dedicated Train is special plateau aerobic train belongs to Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company. The cabin of this train is characterized by spacious and comfortable. The maximum capacity of the Qomolangma Tourist-dedicated Train is 600 passengers, and there are only soft sleeper cabins and hard sleeper cabins on the train. The professional guide on the Qomolangma Tourist-dedicated Train will provide commentary regarding the natural scenery along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway for tourists while the professional doctor on the train will provide necessary medical service for tourists. The series of services will provide more comforts and benefits for tourists.

It is said that the Qomolangma Tourist-dedicated Train will be opened between June and middle October 2013. It will starts from Xining (the start point of Qinghai-Tibet Railway) and then back to Xining from Lhasa. Tourists planning to join the Lhasa tours between June and October will have the chance to witness the breathtaking natural scenery along Qinghai-Tibet Highway through the window of the Qomolangma Tourist-dedicated Train.

Regarding the reception of tourists, Tibet Tourism Bureau elaborately designed various tour routes to meet the demands of tourists. Passengers on Qomolangma Tourist-dedicated Train could pay a visit to the natural and historical sites in Lhasa, Nyingchi, Shannan and Shigatse. In addition, to guarantee the accommodation, sightseeing, shopping and entertainment of tourists making a Tibet tour by Qomolangma Tourist-dedicated Train, Tibet Tourism Bureau will organize several competitive Tibet tour operators, hotels and restaurants to form a reception alliance and take part in the reception work.

Recent years, Tibet keeps making great efforts in the development of Tibet tourism. Taking the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon and Nanyi Valley as an example, the two natural sites were developed by a competitive enterprise respectively and the two sites received about 0.41 million tourists both at home and abroad in 2012. Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon and Nanyi Valley have realized a tourism revenue of 89 million RMB in 2012. The number of visitors and the tourism revenue increased 28 percent and 39 percent respectively.

To keep with the pace of the development of Tibet tourism, some of the scenic areas are planning to increase the investment in the basic facilities. For instance, the construction of the guesthouses and 5-star hotels by Yarlung Zangbo River is greatly limited due to the electricity supply shortage. The transportation pressure is increasing with the increasing of tourists. The potential safety hazard should be removed for the consideration of safety.

Tibet Autonomous Region totally received 11 million tourists in 2012 and realized a tourism revenue of 13.2 billion. The reception capacity and service ability in Tibet have been greatly improved in Tibet. According to the sample investigation, 98 percent of the tourists who've been to Tibet are quite satisfied with the tourism environment and service quality in Tibet and 73 percent of the tourists would like to pay a second visit to Tibet.