Tibet Rises To The Occasion With Tourism And Development

The ongoing fourth session of the Ninth Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) People's Congress has some good news for the people of Tibet in particular and the global tourism industry as a whole. And why not, if the number of tourists grows five times as compared to a nation's total population by the next four years, there is every reason to rejoice and celebrate! This time, it is Tibet where the bells are ringing...of course with some auspicious prophecy.

As reported by Chinas state media very recently, the annual number of tourists visiting the Tibet Autonomous Region would be hovering around the 15 million mark by the year 2015 (the regions current official population is less than three million). At the same time, this number of 15 million is more than double of the present figure of the region's inbound tourist flow. As the efforts are on full swing to built and promote Tibet as an important world tourism destination, this positive developments has left the locals on a high with promises of over 300,000 jobs.

 The national coffers are also setting the cash register ringing with an anticipation of 16 billion Yuan (US$2.42 billion) a year as tourism revenue. Interesting is the fact that, the rural areas are bagging the highlight and initiatives are undertaken to encourage tourism in those parts. With over 80 percent of the national population living in the villages, this step would help a traveller comprehend the real essence of Tibet in its raw and uncensored self.