Chinese tourists swarm to Tibet
Tourism is booming in Tibet as more Chinese travel in-country because of the coronavirus pandemic, posing risks to the region’s fragile environment and historic sites.
The number of visitors is limited to 5000 per day at the Potala Palace, the former home of the Dalai Lamas. Balancing tourist demand with the need to minimise wear and tear on the massive hillside structure was a constant challenge, said Gonggar Tashi, the head administrator.
‘‘The biggest challenge for us is the contradiction between the protection and usage of the cultural relics,’’ Tashi told journalists in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital.
He spoke during a government-organised tour that gave foreign journalists rare access to Tibet but under the watchful eye of officials who set the agenda.
The growing numbers of tourists appear unconcerned by political controversies long circling Tibet. China’s communist forces entered the region in 1951, and the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s traditional spiritual and political leader, fled to India during an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.
Millions of visitors come to Tibet every year, and 2020 saw a 12.6 per cent increase from the previous year, said Ge Lei, deputy director of the China Tourism Marketing Association.
He expects the number of visitors to roughly double by 2026.
The glut of visitors, far exceeding Tibet’s population of 3.5 million people, meant caution was necessary to protect the environment and culture, he said.
Tibet has shifted its focus from international to domestic visitors as China’s middle class has grown, said Emily Yeh, a professor of geography at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Tibetans had at times complained about Chinese tourists disrespecting cultural traditions, including stepping on prayer flags, she said.