China completes 5-year tourism development plan for Lhasa

China said Aug 11 it had completed the drawing up of a detailed "Action Plan for Building Lhasa into an International Tourist City in Five Years". Under it, the local Chinese authorities will strive to upgrade the Tibetan capital into an international tourist city with both world-class reputation and quality service in five years, China’s online Tibet news service eng.tibet.cn Aug 11 cited the organization committee of the "China Mayor's Forum on Tourism-Lhasa 2010" as saying.

The report said Lhasa had been listed as one of the PRC’s 14 ancient historical cities approved by the State Council, the Chinese cabinet. In keeping with this, the Fifth National Conference on Tibetan Work which was held earlier this year by the Politburo, called for Tibet Autonomous Region to be to build into an "important international tourist destination," it added.