BEIJING, Jan 12 (Reuter) - China's mountainous region of Tibet saw an eight percent rise in the number of tourists in 1995 and is trying to boost the number of foreign visitors, the Xinhua news agency said.

More than 30,000 tourists visited the Himalayan region in 1995, up by eight percent from 1994, Xinhua said in a report overnight.

Earnings from foreign tourists rose by four percent to $10.66 million while the region earned 200 million ($24 million) from domestic visitors, a rise of three percent, Xinhua said.

All foreign tourists, including visitors not travelling in organised tours, were served by the region's 20 travel agencies, Xinhua said.

China has recently begun to relax slightly the strict rules it imposes on tourism to Tibet, which has been rocked in recent years by a string of often violent anti-Chinese demonstrations.

The local tourism bureau is trying to develop tourist resources in more remote eastern areas to try to increase the number of visitors to the rugged region knows as the "roof of the world," Xinhua said.