Travel agencies in Tibet will start booking domestic visitors again in May. Local officials say the popular destination will soon reopen to foreign tourists as well.
The region posted excellent tourism figures for the first quarter with 130,000 visitors. But that was cut dramatically in the middle of March and foreign tourism completely stopped.
This is not the usual scene in Potala Square on a Sunday afternoon. There used to be crowds from all over the world. Tibet received its first domestic tour group on Thursday since the March 14th riots in Lhasa, with more expected to come next month.
Zhanor, deputy director of Tourism Bureau, Tibet Autonomous Region, said, "To meet the travel peak in May, all travel agencies in the autonomous region will begin receiving domestic tour groups from May 1st. We sincerely welcome all domestic visitors and will ensure you have a good trip. And as conditions continue to improve, we will arrange the reception of foreign tourists as soon as possible. "
Some travel agencies are still closed, but some are already back in business. Chen Qiang's office reopened several days ago. He answers quite a few calls each day, but they're mainly inquiries. He says people still have concerns.
Chen Qiang, manager of Huanyu Travel Agency, said, "A small number of tourists have continued to arrive in Tibet over the past few days. We're expecting more people to come in May because it's usually the travel peak. But I don't think we'll have as many visitors as last year. People are very cautious now. And another reason is the shortened May golden week. People don't want to travel in a rush. "
The region posted excellent tourism figures for the first quarter with 130,000 visitors. But that was cut dramatically in the middle of March and foreign tourism completely stopped.
As life in Tibet returns to normal, people fears are gradually disappearing. But tourists still need time to restore their confidence before deciding to visit the plateau. And travel agencies are not expecting a business boom once tourism restarts.
