Tibetan Tourism Rebounds After Riots

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. April 23, 2009

APRIL 23, 2009 - Tibet's battered tourism industry has rebounded strongly following last year's troubles. State media reported that tourist arrivals rose 12 percent to 430,000 visitors from October to March.

The country's tourism industry took a severe hit follows riots in March 2008 to mark the 49th anniversary of the failed revolt in Lhasa and neighbouring regions. Tibetans attached Chinese migrants, resulting in 22 deaths.

China's central government enforced travel bans and Tibet was closed to foreign tourists for over a month. Arrivals for the first six months of last years fell almost 70 percent.

In October Tibet's tourism administration urged travel agencies, hotels and transportation authorities to halve their prices, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

But visitor numbers now rebounding, regional tourism administration vice director Wang Songping told AFP that discounted tickets for major tourist sites would gradually be removed in anticipation of more arrivals during the peak summer travel period.

Admission to the Jokhang temple, Tibet's holiest Buddhist temple, is now 80 yuan ($12), up from a discounted 35 yuan ($5), Xinhua said.