File photo of Potala Palace in Lhasa of China's Tibet Autonomous Region. [Photo: Xinhua]

A conference on the development of Tibet's tourism industry has taken place in Lhasa, with those involved suggesting upgrades and further regulations should be made to upgrade the pillar of the regional economy.

CRI's Li Jianhua has more from Lhasa.

The conference on the development of Tibet's tourism industry ended with the signing of 16 key projects worth more than 10 billion yuan, or about 1.7 billion US dollars.

Tourism Development Commission Deputy Director Ren Jiyue says Tibet will explore some new routes this year to help meet visitors’ demand, which is increasing on a yearly basis.

"This year we are gonna promote 5 new routes, including the east, the south, the west, the north and Cuogao Lake located in southwest Tibet's Nyinchi. Hopefully this will bring our visitors more convenience and fun. With the development of Tibet's road conditions, there will be some new routes explored every year."

In addition, Ren says the regional government of Tibet is determined to further improve its tourism sector, as an increasing number of visitors are pouring into the region every year.

"This year, some new policies will be rolled out so as to better regulate Tibet's tourism industry, including those on catering, accommodation and tour guides. In addition, more training sessions will be provided for the personnel who work in the field. "

He believes the Tibet Tourism and Culture Expo will not only boost the development of the region's tourism industry, but also help facilitate poverty alleviation programmes in Tibet.

Tourism is a pillar industry in Tibet Autonomous Region, with revenue accounting for over 20 percent of GDP.

According to the regional tourism development commission, more than 6.8 million tourists visited Tibet in the first half of 2016, and revenue from the sector reached 1-billion U.S. Dollars.

For CRI, this is Li Jianhua reporting from Lhasa.