Prospering Xizang sees surge in overseas visitors

The number of trips made by overseas visitors to the Xizang autonomous region nearly doubled last year as the region aims to become a world-class tourist destination, a senior official of the region said on Tuesday.

In 2024, Xizang received more than 63.89 million visits by tourists from home and abroad, an increase of 15.8 percent year-on-year, with the number of trips made by visitors from overseas rising nearly twofold, said Gama Cedain, chairman of the region, during a news conference held by the State Council Information Office on Xizang's economic and social development achievements over the past six decades.

"During the process of becoming a world-class tourist destination, we have integrated the cultural tourism industry with economic and social development, and are developing the industry with high standards," Gama Cedain said of Xizang, which is on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and has a long history, splendid culture and unique natural scenery. "We warmly welcome friends from home and abroad to come to Xizang to personally experience the beautiful scenery, immerse themselves in Tibetan culture, and witness the development of the region."

Wang Junzheng, Party secretary of Xizang, said at the news conference that the region's GDP reached 276.5 billion yuan ($38.47 billion) in 2024 — 155 times that of 1965, when the region was established — with an average annual growth rate of 8.9 percent.

Wang noted that while it took the region 50 years to achieve its first 100 billion yuan in GDP, the second 100 billion yuan milestone was reached after just six more years, and GDP is expected to surpass 300 billion yuan this year.

Modern industries including clean energy and cultural tourism are thriving, laying the foundation for a modern industrial system, Wang said, noting that the region continues to enhance its self-sustaining development capacity, with key economic indicators ranking among the highest in terms of growth rates in the country for several consecutive years.

Infrastructure development has also seen remarkable progress, making the "roof of the world" no longer isolated, he added.

According to Wang, by the end of 2024, Xizang had over 124,900 kilometers of roads and 1,359 km of railway, along with 183 domestic and international air routes. The region has also made strides in energy and digital connectivity, with comprehensive power grids and 4G networks reaching even the most remote villages.

Wang said that ecological conservation remains a key priority for the Xizang government, with over 50 percent of the region's land under ecological protection. The region has adopted an integrated approach to protecting mountains, rivers, forests, grasslands and wetlands, he added.

cuijia@chinadaily.com.cn