Tibet Tourism Reopens

Tibet tourism reopens on 24th June, spokesman in Tibet Tourism Office said. We are so happy to hear the news because lots of tourists could visit Tibet from then. What do you expect after its reopening?

Hi, all, here is some very useful information from the official in Tibet.
Here is what the Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) told us this afternoon how travel for foreigners to Lhasa needs to be arranged:

1. Everyone must be part of a group tour.
We asked how may people makes a "group" and the TTB wasn't 100% sure, but thought that 2 people would be enough to make a "group". This minimum number could be changed to 3 or 4, but today we were told 2.

2. Everyone in the group must carry the same nationality passport.
This means that if you are a Canadian passport holder, everyone in your group must also carry a Canadian passport. If you hold a Canadian passport, you cannot meet up with a person holding a Swiss passport and form a group to travel to Lhasa.

3. All tours to Lhasa and the TAR must be guided and arranged before arriving in Lhasa.
A tour guide will accompany you everywhere you go during your stay. Also, in the past you could show up in Lhasa and put together a trip to Everest Base Camp at a travel agency. Now, all travel plans will have to be arranged BEFORE you arrive in Lhasa.

4. All hotels must be arranged in advance.
As Chris Jones mentioned earlier, not all hotels in Lhasa have the right permits to allow foreign travelers. All hotel reservations must be made at hotels that officially allow foreigners. Most of the popular hotels in Lhasa will probably be okay, but there may be some that are not.

5. All foreigners must have all of the proper permits before departing to Lhasa.
This is nothing new, but you can be certain that all train stations and airports will be checking everyone's permits.

6. Travel to Lhasa must be arranged at least 10 days in advance.
We have been told that an official itinerary must be given to the TTB 10 days before the customer plans to arrive in Lhasa. The TTB will be doing at least some sort of a background check before a permit is issued to travel to Lhasa. Before you could get a permit in 2 or 3 days. Now it will take at least 10 days to process...maybe even longer.

Group travel is the ONLY way to get to Lhasa. If anything major does change, I will post an update.

Tibet Reopened to Foreign Tourists on June 25, after closed to travelers since middle March 2008. Tibet Tourism Bureau is start to issue to Tibet entry permit but with much more restrictions. There are overall four documents required for foreign tourists who want to travel freely in Tibet.

1. Chinese Visa - you can apply for in Chinese Embassy in your country;
2. Tibet Entry Permit - It is issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau and is a must for foreigners entering Tibet;
3. Travel Permit: It is required when you are planning to travel to the closed areas in Tibet,which you can obtain it after you arrive in Tibet
4. Military Permit - you have to obtain if you are planning to travel to some military sensitive areas.

As a local travel agency, China Highlights is able to assist you to process all of those above documents if you book a Tibet tour with us.

Hi, there,

Besides, you still need to be aware that to avoid any political issues and to respect Tibetan custom when you are traveling in Tibet, some of them are:

1. Do not talk about sensitive topics like politics when in Tibet.
2. Do not try to talk with some lamas about their lives and religions.
3. Walk clockwise around the Barkhor Street, especially during the rush hour of pilgrimage from 9 am to 6 pm.
4. Ask permission first before taking pictures of other people in the Barkhor areas. Sometimes they will ask you for money but most of time it is ok to give them a little gift.

For more Tips about traveling to Tibet, you can visit: http://www.chinahighlights.com/faq/tibet-travel/

Related News:

• Happy Days Here Again in Tibet June 25 2008
• Tibet Reopened to Foreign Tourists on June 25 June 24 2008