Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region is on a journey of continuous development, progress and prosperity. Let's delve into the numbers and explore its rapid advancement in the fields of cultural protection and tourism. The tourism industry in Xizang experienced remarkable growth in 2023 as revenue and the number of tourists both reached new historic highs.
The number of tourists visiting the autonomous region surpassed 55 million, marking a growth of 59.7 percent year-on-year, according to the Department of Tourism Development of Xizang Autonomous Region. With a rich historical background, the traditional culture of Xizang has also garnered widespread attention and protection.
From 2012 to 2022, the central authorities and the Xizang local government earmarked over 325 million yuan for protecting intangible cultural heritage (ICH) items on the national representative list in Xizang. This funding supported recording the knowledge and skills of the bearers of ICH items on the national list, training ICH practitioners, and building facilities for ICH protection and utilization, according to the White Paper "CPC ( the Communist Party of China) Policies on the Governance of Xizang in the New Era: Approach and Achievements." As of 2023, a total of 173 intangible cultural heritage workshops have been established, offering opportunities for thousands of people, who have been lifted out of poverty, to work at or close to their homes.
The added value of cultural and related industries in Xizang reached 8.99 billion yuan..
