The well-known Yamzhog Yumco Lake in Lhoka Prefecture in the southeast of Tibet [Photo from China Tibet Online]

Tibet expects to host more than 7.5 million domestic and international tourists in 2011, with estimated tourism revenue totaling up to 7.6 billion yuan, said Padma Choling, chairman of Tibet Autonomous Region in the lately closed Tibet Economic Work Conference.

Thanks to its unique culture and breathe-taking sceneries,Tibet has developed tourism as one of its six pillar industries and champion of the tertiary industry. "High plateau, snowy mountains and sunshine"have made Tibet one of the world's most attractive tourist destinations.

Statistics show that Tibet received 6, 82 million people in 2010, added 6.93 billion yuan to its annual revenue, both a big leap forward compared with the year of 2006.

Padma Choling further addressed that as a major source ofrevenue, tourism industry in Tibet will continue to expand. It will gradually form an industrial chain linking tourism with ethnic culture, handicraft as well as service industry.