The latest statistics released by the Tibetan Autonomous Region Tourism Administration show that the region’s tourism revenue contributed 24.76% to the total GDP for the first three quarters this year.
Tibetan tourism sector registered strong growth in the first nine months of 2014, with foreign and domestic visitors making a total of 12,845,600 trips to Tibet and spending RMB16.382 billion, a year-on-year increase of 18.4% and 23.6% respectively.
Tibet’s tourism market this year peaked from June to September, with the highest number of visitors registered during the summer holiday when major annual events such as the Shoton Festival, Horse Race Festival and the Tibet Expo drew many visitors to the Tibetan Plateau.
Although the high season is over, Tibet is still attracting visitors choosing to enjoy the snowy winter and take in the stunning vistas of the Tibetan Plateau. The Tibetan Tourism Authority is currently running the “Tibetan Winter Trip” campaign till March 31, 2015, offering up to 50% discount for admission to tourist attractions and 40%-60% discounts on hotel rates. In conjunction, tour operators are offering great value tour packages to Tibet.(Translation by David)
