14 May 2008
Tibet tourism suffers setbacks after Lhasa unrest
(Xinhua; AP) The service sector in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), especially the tourism industry, has suffered since demonstrations began in Lhasa on 10 March, a press conference held by the regional government announced. In March, the TAR received just 14,200 tourists, including foreigners, said Deng Xiaogang, Vice Chairman of TAR at the conference. By the end of March, the region's tourism revenue was 40.6 percent less than that March 2007. A shortening of the May Day break this year to three days from seven contributed to the drop in tourism, but most industry executives said the riots and tense security were the primary culprits. However, over the holiday period, (from 01 to 03 May) 89,000 domestic tourists visited the TAR, said Sun Yongping, Vice Director of the Tibet Tourism Bureau. In other Tibetan areas, tourism has been badly affected, as foreign tourists are still banned, and until 01 May, Chinese were advised to stay away. Labrang (Chin: Xiahe), in Gansu province, according to AP, home of one of the great Tibetan monasteries, was practically deserted over the holiday period