Tibet tourism takes off

Tourist arrivals in Tibet soared 60 per cent last year to 4 million, forcing the Government to add 775 new tour buses to allay transportation strains.

Tourism in the remote Himalayan region has roared ahead since the opening of a direct rail route to its capital Lhasa in 2006.

The growth of tourism is part of an overall push to develop Tibet's economy, one that critics say is leaving Tibetans behind and threatening the fragile environment of the plateau.