Tourists to Lhasa tops 10 mln in first 10 months

Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet
(Photo from Wikipedia/ Antoine Taveneaux)

LHASA, (PNA/Xinhua) –Tourists to Lhasa, capital of southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, have exceeded 10 million in the first 10 months of 2015, according to the city government.

A record of 11.59 million people from both home and abroad visited the city from January to October, up 11.71 percent year on year. The city’s tourism sector realized 15 billion yuan (about 2.34 billion U.S.dollars) in tourism revenue, up 38.16 percent from last year.

Overseas tourists reached 106,400, up 11.71 percent from last year.

Tourism is a pillar industry in Tibet, with revenue accounting for about one fifth of the region’s GDP. The region aims to attract 17 million tourists this year. (PNA/Xinhua)