The Chinese may be cracking down on rioters in Lhasa, but interest in Tibet is only surging says The New York Times. As access to the region has improved, more and more people are making trips there, to the tune of 5 million people a year. (Could Olympic Torch protests be helping hype Tibet, too?)
And unlike what happened after the junta in Myanmar killed a bunch of people, a sense of danger and a sense of guilt aren't affecting Tibet tourism. Says one travel agent:
Travelers were very frightened about heading to Burma while the protests and crackdowns were occurring...People who were scheduled to go to Tibet still very much want to go and do not seem concerned about the situation.
Obviously, we have to redirect them elsewhere because nobody can get entry permits for Tibet, but I do think it's interesting that the current events seem to have actually stimulated interest in the destination rather than discouraged it.
And therein lies the rub. Even if you want to go to the region, China has stopped issuing travel permits for Tibet. The routes up to Mount Everest, you've probably heard, are also closed.
Tourism providers like Globus, Mountain Travel Sobek and Collette Vacations have decided to cancel their trips for the spring. But maybe it's a good sign that they've yet to postpone their summer and fall excursions?
Related Stories:
· Suddenly, the Roof of the World Is Closed [NYT]
· Caught Between a Crackdown and a Tibetan Welcome [NYT]
· Trouble in Tibet [Jaunted]
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