Mount Qomolangma (Everest), the world's highest peak, recorded
more than 40,200 tourists in 2007, said tourism authorities in
southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
Local tourism authorities attributed the tourist boom, which
brought revenue of 26 million yuan (around 3.6 million U.S.
dollars) to the local region, mainly to improved roads in the
high-altitude region.
Tourist numbers for 2006 were not released.
An official with the Tibet Autonomous Region Tourism Bureau said
that it was expected that more tourists would come to the area this
year along with the ascent of the Beijing Olympic torch to Mount
Qomolangma as one of the highlights during its worldwide relay.
The bureau has recently debuted new tourist routes for those who
travel on foot or behind the wheel.
Mount Qomolangma, known in the west as Mount Everest, has become
one of the most popular routes for backpackers and
mountaineers.
The central government and Tibet's regional government have
stepped up preservation of the vulnerable environment in the nature
reserve of the Mount Qomolangma.
(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2008)