Tibet receives record number of tourists in 2009 despite travel bans after last year’s riots

September 24th, 2009 Official denies Tibet ban for foreign visitorsBEIJING — A Chinese official on Thursday denied reports that Tibet will be closed to foreign visitors over the sensitive Oct. 1 national day period.

September 22nd, 2009 BEIJING - China has banned foreign tourists from travelling to Tibet ahead of a parade in the capital to mark 60 years of Communist rule. The Daily Express quoted Tan Lin, an official with the business administration office at the Tourism Bureau of Tibet, as saying that foreign tourists would be banned from entering Tibet, but added that those who have already arrived would be allowed to stay.

September 22nd, 2009 China shuts Tibet to foreigners before anniversaryBEIJING — China has closed Tibet to foreign tourists and deployed soldiers armed with machine guns in the streets of Beijing — part of a raft of stringent security measures ahead of the 60th anniversary of communist rule. Even kite-flying has been banned in the capital.

September 21st, 2009 China bans foreign tourists from TibetBEIJING — China has banned foreign tourists from traveling to Tibet ahead of a parade in the capital to mark 60 years of Communist rule, an official said Tuesday, amid stepped-up security across the country to ensure nothing mars the celebrations. Tan Lin, an official with the business administration office at the Tourism Bureau of Tibet, said foreign tourists would be banned from Tuesday onwards, but those who have already arrived would be allowed to stay.

September 9th, 2009 Dalai Lama receives human rights awardBRATISLAVA, Slovakia — The Dalai Lama received an international award on Wednesday for his promotion of human rights and his leadership in the nonviolent campaign by Tibetans seeking autonomy from China. After receiving Slovakia's Jan Langos award at a theater in Bratislava, the Dalai Lama said he considers the prize "new encouragement" for his efforts to find a "mutually agreeable solution" for China and Tibet.

August 4th, 2009 Dalai Lama: growing support in China for TibetansLAUSANNE, Switzerland — The Dalai Lama said Tuesday that an estimated 4,000 people who were imprisoned during anti-Chinese riots in Tibet last year remain in custody, and he called for an international investigation of the violence. The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader said he remains encouraged by the growing solidarity and support Chinese people and intellectuals are showing for the Tibetan cause.

July 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - India Thursday advised intending Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims to take caution and "prepare for the difficulties that they may have to face" on the high altitude journey "where availability of medical facilities, accommodation, food items, means of communication and transport are minimal". This year while large number of Indians are showing interest in visiting Kailash Mansarovar, situated at an altitude of 13,000 feet in Tibet, at least 10 tourists, who had gone with private tour operators, died, and many more had to cut short their trip due to medical emergencies.

July 11th, 2009 URUMQI - Authorities in northwest China's Xinjiang province Saturday said that tourism and air transport have been affected by the July 5 ethnic violence that claimed at least 184 lives. Authorities in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region said Saturday both tourism and air transport have been hurt by the July 5 riot that left 184 dead in Urumqi, the regional capital.

July 9th, 2009 GUANGZHOU - Many tourist agencies are calling off group trips to China's Xinjiang region following the recent deadly riots in Urumqi city that left at least 156 people dead and over 1,000 injured. "We are hoping that travel can resume by July 20, but it depends on the status in Xinjiang", said Tang Qiting, deputy manager with Guangzhilu International Travel Service in Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong province.

July 1st, 2009 Air China to offer direct Beijing-Tibet flightsBEIJING — Air China will begin offering direct flights from Beijing to Tibet this month, shaving two hours off the current travel time in a bid to boost tourism, state media said Wednesday. The official Xinhua News Agency said the new service to Tibet's capital of Lhasa will depart Beijing daily from July 10.

May 28th, 2009 BEIJING - US House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a bipartisan CODEL met with China's President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao, and Wu Bangguo, the chairman of the National People's Congress - and talked about North Korea and human rights abuses in Tibet. Pelosi, a longtime critic of China's record in Tibet, was greeted by pro-democracy protesters bearing a banner reading "Welcome Pelosi...

April 22nd, 2009 Tibet tourism recovering after last year's riotsBEIJING — Tibet's battered tourism industry is gradually recovering from last year's deadly riots, prompting authorities to phase out discount prices aimed at boosting visitor numbers, state media reported Wednesday. Tourism in the Himalayan region took a major hit from the March 2008 riots, in which Tibetans attacked Chinese migrants and torched much of Lhasa's commercial district, leaving 22 people dead by China's account.

April 19th, 2009 Taiwan receives 3,000 Chinese tourists per dayTAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan has reached its goal of hosting 3,000 Chinese tourists a day as ties between the two rivals continue to strengthen, the government said Sunday. Chinese tourist arrivals averaged 3,013 people per day so far this month, compared with the daily average of 580 over the past eight months, the Immigration Agency said on its Web site.

March 10th, 2009 BEIJING - Tibetan areas of China were sealed off to foreigners Tuesday amid tension surrounding the anniversaries of a 1959 uprising against Chinese rule and violent protests last year. Foreign journalists and tourists were barred from almost all Tibetan areas of provinces adjoining the Tibet Autonomous Region, as the Communist party tightened border security and stepped up a propaganda drive.

March 7th, 2009 BEIJING - Two Tibetan women were arrested for staging separate protests that were critical of China in the Chinese province of Sichuan, an advocacy group for Tibet said Saturday. A nun in her 20s and a 36-year-old woman were detained Thursday in Ganzi after handing out pamphlets that called for the exiled Dalai Lama's return to Tibet, respect for Tibetans' human rights, religious freedom and the release of Tibetan political prisoners, the International Campaign for Tibet said.