Tibet Tourism Development

Tibet Tourism Development – Reception Ability

Tibet tourism industry was definitely a blank before 1978. There was only one guesthouse with less than 100 beds opened to overseas tourists in Tibet in 1980. The reform and open up strategy greatly promoted the industries in Tibet and Tibet tourism keeps growing rapidly since then. Tibet Tourism Bureau was officially started in 1986. A series of hotels, including the Lhasa Holiday Hotel, Shigatse Hotel, Gyantse Hotel, Tsedang Hotel and Nagqu Hotel were constructed and opened to tourists both at home and abroad.

At the same time, great importance was attached to the renovation of the cultural and historical relics in different regions in Tibet. A series of basic service facilities were constructed for the reception of visitors from different corners of the world. A series of travel agencies were established to provide vehicle rental, hotel booking, tickets booking and some other relevant services for both domestic tourists and foreign tourists.

Recent years, Tibet is more opening to visitors all around the world and the tourism industry here develops vigorously. Various sightseeing routes were designed for tourists to explore the mysterious culture and fascinating nature on Tibet Plateau. Except for the classic routes, some trekking routes and adventure routes are also explored. Some small guesthouses and restaurants were even opened in the rare-visited remote regions.

Tibet Tourism Development – Transportation

The transportation in Tibet was greatly improved since its peaceful liberation. The Sichuan-Tibet Highway, Qinghai-Tibet Highway, Xinjiang-Tibet Highway and Yunnan-Tibet Highway were constructed and opened to operation successively. The highway system centers on Lhasa, Shigatse, Qamdo, Nagqu and some other important towns allows tourists to travel in Tibet conveniently.

Except for the highways, the air lines between Lhasa and some domestic cities were also opened continuously. Currently, tourists in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kunming, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Xining, Chengdu and Nanjing could fly to Lhasa directly. It should be noted that the direct flight between Kathmandu and Lhasa has also be opened. It takes only about 70 minutes to fly to Lhasa from Kathmandu. A lot of tourists choose to enter into Tibet by train after the world famous Qinghai-Tibet Railway was put into operation. The direct train between Lhasa and Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Chengdu and Xining are available.

Tourists entering into Tibet by train could save a plenty of time compared to take the train. Have a bird-view of the magnificent and amazing Tibet Plateau would be a great memory for tourists. The disadvantage of taking a flight to Tibet is that tourists could not witness the beautiful natural scenery in a short distance. Though taking the train to Tibet is a good choice for tourists to appreciate the fascinating natural scenery along the railway, tourists are not advised to choose the train in the peak season (July – August) for it is difficult to book a train ticket to Lhasa due to the large demand and limited provide.