Tourists from home and abroad will once again be able to visit the beautiful scenic spots like the Potala Palace in Lhasa. After the March 14th riot in Lhasa, the tourist industry of Tibet has been recovering gradually. Starting from May 1, the tourist market in Tibet will embrace a large number of foreign sight-seers.

Our reporter Liu Yan has more.

Reporter:

Shops on the square near Jokhang Temple, the spiritual center of Lhasa, have had their businesses return to normal these days. They have also experienced booming sales since tourists from other parts of China are coming back to Tibet.
Li Wang, a local shop owner, is satisfied with the growth of sales.

"Sales at my shop are pretty good. The business is recovering gradually. It will become better and better in the future."

A tourist from Xi'an, the capital of south-western China's Shaanxi province, says he is happy to see the stable and harmonious situation in Lhasa.

"The situation in Lhasa is stable. I can see that pilgrims are worshiping in front of the Jokhang Temple freely. Lhasa is a very harmonious city."

Relevant departments of tourism in Lhasa are busy preparing for the upcoming reopening of its tourist market.

Wang Ping, deputy director of Lhasa tourism administration, is confident in their preparatory work.

"There are more than 120 hotels qualified for receiving foreign tourists. Recently, we have carried out training courses for tourist industry workers. We have also improved relevant facilities for tourists. Lhasa will be well-prepared for its reopening to foreign tourists."

Tourist industry is a pillar industry in Tibet. Thanks to the completion of the Qinghai-Tibet railway, Tibet received more than four million tourists last year. The amount of income from tourism reached nearly 5 billion yuan, or about 700 million US dollars. The Tibetan tourist industry is expected to enjoy a good fortune again this year.

Liu Yan, CRI news.