Holiday Lettings news - Tibet reopens to visitors after Olympic torch visit

Tibet reopens to visitors after Olympic torch visit

Following the successful leg of the Olympic torch relay in Lhasa, Tibet has fully reopened again to foreign visitors for the first time since the March riots, reports Chinese news agency Xinhua.

Tibet welcomed its first foreign tourists on Wednesday, marking the full opening of Tibet to overseas and domestic tour groups after more than three months; China closed Tibet to tourists following the March 14th riot in the regional capital of Lhasa.

The decision to reopen Tibet comes after the Olympic torch's visit to Lhasa passed without problems. Tanor, of the Tibet Autonomous Regional Bureau of Tourism, said: "The success of the Olympic torch relay held three days ago in Lhasa demonstrated that the foundation for the social stability has been further consolidated." He went on to say that visitors can again experience for themselves the "stable situation" and "harmonious society" in Tibet.

In 2007 Tibet welcomed four million tourists, both domestic and international, up 60 per cent from 2006. Tourism continued to grow robustly in January and February of this year.

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