Lhasa to become Plateau’s only int’l tourist city in next five years
By 2020, Lhasa will become the only international tourist city on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as decided at Lhasa Tourism Development Conference held on Dec. 28, China News Service reported.
Data released by the Conference shows that from 2010 to 2015, the total tourist revenue reached 15.493 billion yuan(2.389 millioin U.S. dollars) at an average annual increase of 30 percent, accounting for more than 20 percent of the city’s GDP. In the same period, the number of tourists increased to 11.79 million, an annual increase of 23.32 percent.
According to the plan, from 2016 to 2020 Lhasa will receive 24 million domestic tourists at an annual increase of 15 percent, and 300,000 international tourists at an annual increase of 20 percent. The total revenue from tourism is expected to exceed 30 billion yuan(4.626 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for more than 40 percent of the city's GDP.
To this end, Lhasa will accelerate the construction of infrastructure and develop high-end tourism brands. In the 13th "Five-Year Plan" period(2016-2020), the city will invest 100 billion yuan(154.2 million U.S. dollars). In addition, Lhasa will vigorously develop an online souvenir sales network, promoting a "Travel + Internet" financial investment mode.
Lhasa will also benefit from the "One Belt One Road" policy and opportunities from the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor. It also strives to join in the World Tourism Cities Federation and the Asia-Pacific Tourism Association and build duty-free shops at the airport and in the city center to develop itself into China’s major tourism hub to South Asia.
As one of China’s first batch of historical and cultural cities approved by the State Council, Lhasa boasts world cultural heritage sites including the Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple and the Norbulingka. The city will also apply to be an UNESCO intangible cultural heritage ancient city in the next five years.