China invest in Tibetan tourism

China will commit US$63.5 million to expand and develop infrastructure within Tibet, making it a viable international tourism marketplace.

South-eastern Tibet will benefit from the construction of 22 new model villages at a cost of nearly US$16 million, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

Surrounded by forests, snow blanketed mountain peaks, deep valleys and winding rivers, Nyingchi County will house the new villages.

Cultural unrest in Tibet has been a predominant factor in the lack of foreign tourists permitted entry into the Chinese region.

Tibetans have, in the past, accused the Chinese Government of religious persecution and cultural assimilation.

Since early June, Beijing has not allowed foreign tourists to visit Tibet, although it has not publicly acknowledged the restriction.

In May e-Travel Blackboard reported that the National Tourism Administration of China and the Tibet Tourism Bureau altered the requirements for visitors to obtain a Tibetan Travel Permit.

Sourced: etravelblackboardasia