Reuters AlertNet Full site
Homepage | Newsdesk | NGO Latest | Crisis briefings | Country profiles | MediaWatch | Jobs | Alerting | Login

NEWSDESK

No queues for tourists in Lhasa, China says
13 Apr 2008 12:56:06 GMT
 Source: Reuters
BEIJING, April 13 (Reuters) - The Tibetan city of Lhasa plans to focus on luring Chinese tourists this summer, in the wake of deadly rioting, a ban on foreign visitors and international protests over Beijing's policy in the region, state media said.

The official Xinhua agency took an optimistic look at the collapse of a key industry, saying that those who do make it to an area sometimes called "the roof of the world" will find it refreshingly free of tour groups.

"Tourists visiting the city these days will find that they needn't stand in line for the usually hard-to-get tickets for popular attractions," it reported from the city.

Tourism is a vital source of cash for the impoverished region, where 4 million tourists last year flocked to see historic temples, experience Tibetan culture and enjoy breathtaking natural scenery.

Visits had risen sharply since the July 2006 opening of the first rail link to Lhasa, and taken together the visitors outnumbered around 2.6 million residents.

Travel officials have frozen ticket prices for the summer season, when they can be twice winter levels, to try to attract more Chinese travellers, Xinhua said.

But ethnic Han Chinese were targets of an angry mob when monk-led protests in mid-March turned into a violent riot, and may be wary of returning to the Himalayan city in the short term.

The region will reopen to foreign tourists from May 1, Chinese official media has reported, although officials have not confirmed this and a U.S.-based rights group says Beijing does not plan to allow foreigners in until after the Olympics.

Beijing has accused the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, of masterminding the riots and unrest as part of a bid for independence and with an eye to spoiling the Beijing Games. The Dalai Lama rejects the accusations and says he does not seek independence for Tibet. (Reporting by Emma Graham-Harrison)


AlertNet news is provided by
Email this article       Send comments

NGO latest

•  China's Amity Foundation sheds light on environmental situation
CWS

•  Direct Relief International Recognizes World TB Day 2008
DRI - USA

•  China: World Vision assists remote mountain villages in Yunnan
World Vision - Asia Pacific

•  New funding opportunities for civil society to tackle HIV
International HIV/AIDS Alliance - UK

•  ACT Appeal: Assistance to Snow & Frost Affected, China
ACT - Switzerland

MORE >>

Latest news

•  No queues for tourists in Lhasa, China says

•  China drought leaves 670,000 without drinking water

•  Nepal's Maoists heading to victory in key election

•  Nepal's Maoists heading to victory in key election

•  U.N. policeman from Nigeria shot dead in Haiti

MORE >>

AlertNet news is provided by

Related articles

Breaking stories
No queues for tourists in Lhasa, China says (1 minute ago)

China drought leaves 670,000 without drinking water (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight
MEDIAWATCH: India joins Africa's suitors (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed
China's Amity Foundation sheds light on environmental situation (1 minute ago)

Blogs
HIV threat looms over China's evolution (1 minute ago)

Maps
MAP: Global flood locations week ending March 27 ,2008 (1 minute ago)


Country information

Facts & figures
China

Del.icio.us Del.icio.us  |   Digg Digg  |   NewsVine NewsVine  |   Reddit Reddit   
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-04-11T200902Z_01_BAS324_RTRIDSP_2_OLYMPICS-TORCH-ARGENTINA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/BAS324.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-04-11T200805Z_01_BAS323_RTRIDSP_2_OLYMPICS-TORCH-ARGENTINA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/BAS323.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-04-11T200643Z_01_BAS322_RTRIDSP_2_OLYMPICS-TORCH-ARGENTINA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/BAS322.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-04-11T195907Z_01_BAS321_RTRIDSP_2_OLYMPICS-TORCH-ARGENTINA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/BAS321.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-04-11T195730Z_01_BAS320_RTRIDSP_2_OLYMPICS-TORCH-ARGENTINA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/BAS320.htm

China supporters face off against pro-Tibet demonstrators as the Olympic torch relay continued in Buenos Aires April 11, 2008. REUTERS/Bernardino Avila (ARGENTINA) ...


More pictures | Galleries
Disclaimers |  Copyright |  Privacy |  Contact Us |  Feedback |  About Us |  RSS XML

Last updated:Sun Apr 13 12:53:26 2008