Lhasa receives over 733,100 tourists in first half year

　　BEIJING, July 15 (Xinhuanet) -- Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, received 733,100 tourists in the first half of the year, up 143.21 percent year on year, said the Lhasa Tourism Bureau.

　　Among the visitors, 28,800 are inbound tourists, a 10-percent increase over the same period of 2008.

　　Photo taken on May 2, 2009, shows the exterior of the Potala Palace, Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. (Xinhua Photo)

　　From January to June, the total revenue of Lhasa's tourism industry came to 668 million yuan，a 183.05 percent increase over last year. Foreign exchange earnings hit 11.58 million U.S. dollars, a 320.57 percent rise.

　　In June, business in hotels and restaurants in Lhasa City has seen a rapid recovery, with the occupancy rate for hotels coming to 60 percent.

　　Lhasa has been developing to be an international tourism city with the help from various departments, said a leading official with the Lhasa Tourism Bureau.

　　Tourists line for visiting the Potala Palace in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 21, 2009. (Xinhua/Purbu Zhaxi)

　　In the second half of the year, the tourism bureau will continue to improve its tourism services. Meanwhile, to attract more tourists, the city will hold a series of cultural activities including the "Miss Asia" Tibet Division Contest, 4th Namco International Hiking Convention and the annual Shoton Festival.