Tibet: popular summer travel destination

15:48, July 27, 2009  

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.

A product of flying from Hangzhou to Xining, capital of northwest China's Qinghai Province, and then taking a train to Lhasa was asking for 6,180 yuan (904.75 dollars) in June. In July, it shot up to 7,580 yuan (1109.71 dollars).

In August when the Shoton Festival is to be held, the price would go up to 9,980 yuan (1461.07 dollars). "It's almost 10,000 yuan (1,464 dollars)," said the staff. "In recent years, we have never seen such a high price, when a Tibet package during the Shoton was only around 7,800 yuan (1141.92 dollars). "

"Traveling to Tibet is really becoming popular and prices see a 20 percent increase," added the staff.

At the moment, the most difficult thing to get are railway tickets to Lhasa and entrance tickets to the Potala Palace.

"A one-way railway ticket from Xining to Lhasa is 510 yuan (74.66 dollars). But the commission would be 1,000 (146.4 dollars) to 1,500 yuan (219.6 dollars). Meanwhile, commission on the tickets to Potala Palace is three times higher. In June, it's only 100 yuan (14.64 dollars). But in August, it would be 300 yuan (43.92 dollars)."

Source: Xinhuanet

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