14 January 2008
Tibet under strain as visitors surpass locals
(The Guardian) The number of tourists who visited the Tibet Autonomous Region in 2007 soared by 60%, outnumbering the people who live there and putting further pressure on Tibet's already overwhelmed infrastructure, according to figures released by Xinhua. Despite the construction of airports and a rail link from Lhasa to Xining in Qinghai province, Tibet's tourist sector ran an additional 775 tour buses to cope with the influx. The Chinese government says that the tourist surge will help generate the income necessary to protect Tibet's ancient monuments and ways of life.