A surge in tourism in Lhasa, following the launch of the
Qinghai-Tibet Railway on July 1, has led to illegal ticket
sales.
For hundreds of tourists confronted with a "sold out" sign at
the gate of Potala Palace, the only way of getting a close look at
the world-famous cultural relic is to turn to ticket touts.
The Tibetan cultural authorities issued a regulation July 1
limiting the daily visitor quota for Potala Palace to 2300 - 1600
from tourist groups and 700 Tibetan Buddhist believers and
individual tourists.
But according to Zhanor, deputy director with the Tibet
Autonomous Region tourism bureau, 5000 tourists visit Tibet every
day, including 1700 who take the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.
The official said an advance sales system had been set up to
encourage people to visit the palace at different times of the day.
So far, the system has managed to cope with demands from tourist
groups.
He added that the Potala Palace is still under repair, which
limits tourist numbers.
"Conserving the building is more important than developing
tourism," he said.
Authorities plan to raise summer season ticket prices for Potala
Palace to 300 yuan next year, to encourage tourists to come in the
winter season, when the price is a more affordable 100 yuan. But
experts say the move is likely to lead to increased illegal ticket
sales.
(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2006)