More than 8.6 million Chinese and foreign tourists visited southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region in the first half of 2017, up 25 percent year on year, authorities said Tuesday.

Tourism revenue during the period reached 9.3 billion yuan (1.4 billion U.S. dollars), according to a regional tourism development commission statement.

Tourism authorities and resorts now offer special tours in the region, inviting visitors to enjoy local festivals, hiking trails and cuisine.

Ctrip.com, China's largest online travel agency, has issued list of China's top ten summer resorts, with Tibet ranked first.

Tourism experts forecast more tourists in the following months than the first half of the year as the region will celebrate a series of events such as the Shoton (Yogurt) festival and the horse race festival.