After Nepal, it is now Tibet’s turn to cash in on Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world. Shigatse, close to the China-Nepal border, is the Tibet Autonomous Region’s second largest city. Shigatse is gearing up to put its best face before the world as it hosts the Mt Everest Culture Festival, expected to attract about 100,000 tourists, next month. Organised by the regional government and tourism entrepreneurs, the exhibition will include a trade fair and showcase local culture and tourism. The highlight of the festival will be a trip to the Everest base camp. It will draw attention to the fact that along with Nepal, Tibet is also a gateway to the best-known peak in the world.
In May, when the world celebrated the golden jubilee of the first ascent of Mt Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, most of the expeditions to the peak were led from Nepal. However, climbers have to pay less royalty if they attempt to scale the mountain from Tibet. Also, the regulation regarding the number of people in an expedition is also more relaxed in Tibet. Tsam Chue, vice-supervisor of the Chinese Communist Party for the Shigatse Regional Committee, told a Nepalese newspaper that facilities had already been upgraded to accommodate over 330,000 tourists.
She also said attempts are on to develop Tibet as a winter destination. To attract visitors during the five-month harsh winter, considered “zero tourist season”, tourism authorities have started a campaign that offers a 30 percent discount, according to the Kathmandu Post. Each year, Tibet receives about 800,000 visitors, of which over 600,000 are from mainland China. Besides lying in the Everest region, Tibet has the potential to become a religious destination for Buddhists from all over the world. Keeping this in mind, the ancient monasteries in the area are being given a facelift.
However, with nearly 50 percent of foreign tourists arriving via Kathmandu, the recent escalation of violence in Nepal has become a matter of concern for tourism authorities in Tibet. On August 27, Nepal’s Maoists unilaterally broke off a seven-month long ceasefire and started fresh attack on security forces, making the government declare them a terrorist organisation.
Several foreign countries have issued travel advisories cautioning citizens about travelling to Nepal. The most recent was Russia which has asked Russians to “refrain from trips” to Nepal.
