(Xinhua news agency is China's official news service)

LHASA (April 12) XINHUA - Mythical Tibetan Buddhism and exotic folk customs have helped create a multi-million dollar tourism industry in Tibet.

Now the flow of overseas and domestic tourists has become a vital business which has increased Tibet's income and spurred the growth of many other economic sectors, local officials said.

In 1995, the Tibet Autonomous Region welcomed more than 30,000 overseas tourists, and earned 11.3 million US dollars in foreign exchange which rose by 8.1 percent over the figure of the previous year.

The plateau region also received 20,000 domestic tourists last year. Highland scenery, abundant cultural relics, mythical Tibetan Buddhism and exotic folk customs have become appealing tourist attractions for people both from home and abroad.

Over the past few years, regional tourism departments have made efforts to expand tourism by opening new tourist sites and improving facilities at existing spots.

Two vocational areas, the Conggo Lake about 300 km east of the region's capital city of Lhasa, and Xungbalaqu on the outskirts of Lhasa, were brought into use last year.

Two major circular tourist routes to the east and west of Lhasa City have created a string of tourism spots in Nyingchi, Shannan and Ngari prefectures.

By the end of 1995 there were 108 businesses linked to the tourism industry, including 42 tourism agencies. Across the region 38 hotels, with 2,570 rooms, were granted rights to receive overseas tourists. Some 3,200 people now work in tourism businesses, 62 percent of them Tibetans.

In addition to tourists from Germany, the United States, France and Britain, more are coming from Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

Booming tourism has spurred allied industries in Tibet, such as civil aviation, transportation, posts and telecommunications, commerce, as well as ticket revenue at tourism spots.

Many local residents have also benefitted a great deal from tourism.