BEIJING, June 19 -- Two weeks before the Guangzhou-Tibet train line begins operating, a local travel agency is advertising eight package tours to Tibet, the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported last week.

    GRCYTS Travel Agency is offering tours of six to 12 days with prices ranging from 4,160 (US$520) to 7,640 yuan.

    Other agencies also say the operation of the Guangzhou-Tibet railway is a golden opportunity for them. Sources with the Shenzhen Airline International Travel Agency said they had already worked out several tour routes to Tibet by air and train. But they are waiting for the price of the train ticket to be released before they work out the cost of the tours.

    "The launching of Qinghai-Tibet railway will promote local tourism," said an official with the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) in an earlier interview with Xinhua.

    The route the railway line will take is very scenic, with different landscapes, plants and ethnic culture. The area boasts world-famous canyons, plateau lakes and snow mountains, along with 35 percent of rare wild animal species of the nation. Its unique history, culture and scene are attractions for tourists from China and abroad.

    However, there are some inconveniences. Even though the train is much faster than highway transportation, it still takes 59 hours by train from Guangzhou to Lhasa.