Tourism in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) is recovering and picking up rapidly after the region launched a series of measures topromote its image as a safe, civilized and healthy destination, according to Tibet Daily.

In the year 2008, Tibet is estimated to have received 2.2 million visitors and the Nyingchi Prefecture, an extraordinary favorable spot in terms of weather and abundance,stood out to witness an increase in the number of visitors compared with that in the same period last year.

Villager Basang Cering plants prayer flags during a New Year celebration in a village in Xigaze, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 29, 2009. (Xinhua Photo)

Tibet is one of the most popular destinations that tourists are longing for due to its magnificent natural landscape and profound cultural tradition. However, the tourism in Tibet was seriously damaged after the March 14 riot, May 12 earthquake in neighboring Sichuan Province and the quake in its Damxung County in October last year.

Wide-range promotion to rebuild Tibet's image

After reopening tourismto the outside world, its traveling departments have been promoting Tibet's image as a safe, civilized and healthy destination via TV, radios and Tibettour -- a web portal aiming at enhancing tourism in Tibet.

Meanwhile, the regioninvited journalists from 15 state media to visit and conduct special reports on travelingin Lhasa City, Nyingchi and Xigaze prefectures.A total of 400 traveling agencies at home and abroad were also invitedto explore and examine Tibet's travel routes and environment.

A summit on traveling in Tibet was held during the yogurt festival in August last year,gathering China's top 100 traveling agencies, scholars and experts and news media to discuss measures to restore tourism in the region.

Photo taken on Jan. 29, 2009 shows the view of the Potala Palace from the Dragon King Pool Park in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. (Xinhua Photo)

Promotion outside the region, advertising Tibet's traveling resources

The tourism bureau in Tibet took advantage of the off-peak season, promoting Tibet outside the region, thus laying a foundation for the recovery of its tourism.

Thebureau organized agencies fromthe region's cities and prefectures to attend promotion events in foreign countries like Germany, France, India and other cities in China such as Hong Kong, Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Fujiian and Chengdu. It also sent tourism bureaus and agencies in county level to America, Canada, Australia and China's Taiwan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Chengdu armed with "Grand Tibet Night Show"-- a promotion activity aiming atwinter travel in Tibet.

At the same time, prefectures and counties in the region promoted their traveling resourcesin30provinces, cities or enterprises from other areas of the country.

Using awards and lowering prices to enhance travel in Tibet in winter

In 2008, Tibet launched a "Traveling in Tibet in Winter Time" promotion event via issuing awards, lowering prices and introducing top quality traveling routes.

The region's tourism bureau carried out a series of awarding measures, including awards to those travel agencies that organized tours from Oct. 20, 2008 to April 20, 2009. At a recent meeting ontourism in Tibet, 27 agencies that organized winter tour from Oct. 20 to Dec. 20 last year won over 200,000 yuan,

With the starting of the winter tour promotion, priceswere down in an unprecedented way. Prices for scenic spots in Lhasa, Nyingchi and Xigaze prefectures were lowered successively; travel agencies, hotels, tour guide companies and airliners also introduced prices for the winter season whichwere 50 percent lower than that of the in-season.

At the same time, the region launched 10 high quality traveling routes like the one of Nyingchi - Lhass- Xigaze - Nepal extended elite and products featuring local customs toattract evenlarge numbers of tourists.