Published by: World Tibet Network News, Sunday, Jun 2, 1996

LHASA (May 29) XINHUA - More tourist routes are to be opened in Tibet to boost the local tourism industry. Three tourism routes in the Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region are the Qamdo County-Nagqu County line, a line from Basum Lake to a grand canyon to the south of the Yarlung Zangbo River and a circular route connecting Tingri County and Ngamring County and ending in Lhasa.

To enhance the cooperation between Tibet and northwest and other parts of southwest China, the region plans to open lines between Tibet and Yunnan province, and Qamdo-north Sichuan province, a route connecting Qamdo with Yushu, a prefecture in Qinghai province, and a line starting from Wuhan and running through the Three Gorges and Chongqing to Lhasa.

Routes linking Lhasa with Xi'an and Dunhuang are also expected to be opened.

This year, the regional tourism bureau plans to employ more quality inspectors. It also has arranged for "complaint" telephones to be placed in tourism zones, airports, hotels, shopping centers and railway stations, so that tourists may register complaints about services. The telephones will be operable in Tibetan language, Chinese and English.

Local tourism authorities have also drafted regulations that would oversee services in hotels, travel agencies, dining halls, and other places open to tourists.

To protect the safety of overseas tourists, local tourism authorities have also urged all tourism departments, travel agencies, tourism hotels, bus companies and tourism spots to report within 24 hours any accidents involving overseas visitors.