Tourism revenue in Tibet's Lhasa to double by 2020
Tourism revenue in Lhasa, capital of China's Tibet Autonomous Region, will double in the next five years, accounting for over 40 percent of local economic output, according to local authorities.
Lhasa's tourism revenue more than tripled in the past five years to an estimated 15.49 billion yuan (2.35 billion U.S. dollars) in 2015. Tourist visits rose 23.32 percent on a yearly average during the period to 11.79 million in 2015.
The city expects tourism revenue to double to 30 billion yuan by 2020 on the back of growing visits from both domestic and abroad. Tourism is estimated to provide 150,000 jobs in the city.
To ensure steady growth in tourism, Lhasa has pledged to spend 100 billion yuan to improve infrastructure, including roads, airport and facilities around scenic spots.
It also seeks to boost tourism-related retail, by adding duty free shops downtown and at the airport, and developing e-commerce.