More Tourists Flock to TibetSome 185,000 tourists visited the Tibet Autonomous Region in southwest China in the first six months of this year, an increase of 57 percent over the same period of 1999.According to a local official with the Tibet regional tourism bureau, 35,000 overseas tourists visited Tibet during the period, up 40 percent. The number of visitors to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet's capital, is increasing this year. On one day alone, the palace received more than 600 overseas tourists. At present, Tibet has 144 enterprises involved in tourism, 42 travel agencies and 66 hotels and restaurants which are authorized to receive foreigners. Tibet's unique culture and scenic spots are attracting more and more domestic and overseas tourists. The number of visitors to Tibet is expected to surpass 500,000 this year. |
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