A boom in tourist arrivals in Tibet is round the corner as direct flights to Singapore are scheduled to take off from Lhasa Gonggar International Airport in capital Lhasa from December 25, with more international and regional routes, to Hong Kong and other destinations, slated to take off early next year.

This was announced by the regional administration for Xizang autonomous regional administration of the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Tibet is officially referred to Xizang Autonomous Region in China.

According to the official announcement, along with launching the new routes, Xizang Airport Group and Lhasa Gonggar International Airport Customs also agreed to enhance cooperation in elevating the airport’s functions and service capabilities during a recent meeting in Lhasa.

They will expedite the construction of intelligent card gates at the airport’s international cargo station to streamline and modernise the clearance process.

The statement adds that Li Hong, Head of the Administration and President of Xizang Airport Group, emphasised the crucial role of airport Customs in facilitating Xizang’s external openness, international collaboration, economic exchanges and promoting high-quality growth.

According to the statement, Xizang Airlines, or Tibet Airlines, which is the first high-altitude airline in China and the only airline based in the region, has seen flight volume stay top in the region, promoting regional economic and social development. Airlines are expected to increase the frequency of flights on high-demand routes and optimise more flights on routes involving Xizang, thus meeting the travel needs of passengers, Li said.

According to the statement, so far this year, Xizang Airport Group has launched 10 new domestic routes and resumed international flights connecting Lhasa and Kathmandu, capital of Nepal, which is currently the only international flight route in Xizang.

“The opening of international air routes will enhance Xizang’s international visibility, attracting more domestic and foreign tourists to explore the region, and it will also further expand the regional tourism market. With ample capacity and a well-connected air network, these routes will serve Xizang, carrying people to the beautiful snowy plateau and enabling local people to venture out into the wider world,” says Wang Yueyue of the Culture and Tourism Department in Xizang.

According to the administration, Xizang saw its annual air passenger throughput top 7 million for the first time on December 7, a record high, highlighting the steady growth momentum of the civil aviation sector and the local economy.

It added that this year, the regional civil aviation sector is expected to handle 69,000 takeoffs and landings, passenger throughput of 7.73 million and cargo throughput of 53,000 metric tonnes, growing 13.6 pc, 12.1 pc and 12.9 pc respectively.

The statement adds that the tourism market in Xizang has also seen robust growth this year. As of the end of October, Xizang had received nearly 61 million visits by domestic and overseas tourists, an increase of 15.72 pc year-on-year, data from the culture and tourism department showed. Inbound tourists totalled 300,000 visits, an increase of 192.5 pc year-on-year.