BEIJING, Aug. 16 -- Alone in July, Tibet received 1.22 million tourists from home and abroad, up 2.3 times than the same period last year, according to the latest statistics from Tibet tourism Bureau.

A tourist poses for pictures in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, July 29, 2009. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Meanwhile, the total tourism revenue came to 1.09 billion yuan, 1.9 times year-on-year.

    The figures have hit the highest record in history of monthly tourist arrival and tourism revenue in Tibet.

Tourists pose for a photo near Namco Lake, the highest saltwater lake of the world at 4,718 meters above the sea level, located at the boundary of Damxung and Baingoin counties, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, July 26, 2009. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    In the past seven months, a total of 2.713 domestic and foreign tourists visited the region, bringing the tourism revenue to 2.29 billion yuan, up 2.5-fold over the previous year.

    (Source: China Tibet Information Center)

Tibet: popular summer travel destination 

    BEIJING, July 27 (Xinhuaent) -- Tibet has become one of the most popular travel destinations during summer for residents in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, especially as the annual Shoton Festival(Yogurt Festival) in Tibet draws near.

    Since June, prices for package tours to Tibet have kept going up, up 1,500 yuan (219.6 U.S. dollars) each on average each month. "We have been busy buying railway tickets and tickets to tourist attritions in Tibet. We didn't expect Tibet tours during this summer holiday would be so popular," said a staff of a travel agent in Hangzhou.

Tibet to develop hiking routes to its "isolated island"

    BEIJING, July 29 -- Tibet Tourism Co., Ltd. are to develop a few hiking routes for tourists to the Medog County, southeastern Tibet's Nyingchi Prefecture.

    Dubbed as an "isolated island" on the Tibet plateau, Medog is China's last road-less county. With abundant mountains, rivers and waterfall, the county attracts a larger number of tourists. However, the tough journey discourages visitors as it is located in the hinterland of the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon.