Tibet posts double digit growth for 24th year: Report

Tibet has registered a double digit growth rate for the 24th consecutive year due to massive influx of tourism, natural resources and heavy Chinese investments despite slowdown of China's economy.

The first half of this year Tibet's GDP grew by 10.8 per cent keeping up with the momentum of the double-digit growth rate for the 24th consecutive year, state-run People's Daily reported today.

In the first six months, Tibet's GDP reached 55.54 billion yuan (USD 8.49 billion). The disposable incomes for urban and rural residents were 15,292 yuan (about USD 2500) and 3,210 yuan (about USD 525), up 10 and 13.9 per cent year- on-year, respectively, it said.
 

China has invested heavily in the infrastructure of Tibet, especially railway, highways and dams in the last three decades.

From 2011 to 2016, the total mileage of highways in Tibet grew from 63,100 kms to 82,100 kms, extending by 30 per cent. Now, there are 72 airlines flying between Tibet and 41 cities in and out of China, the report said.

Over the past five years China had built several hydropower facilities, including the Zam Hydropower Station built over Brahmaputra river, the Duobu Hydropower Station, the Guoduo Hydropower Station and the Pangduo Hydropower Station and transmitted a total of 824 million kilowatt hours of electricity to places outside the region, an increase of 150 per cent.

For the first time in history, the regions net delivery of electricity exceeded 200 million kilowatt hours. Also Tibet has become a major national and international tourist destination.

In 2016, the tourism sector generated over 33 billion yuan (over USD five billion) in revenue, accounting for nearly 29 per cent of Tibets GDP, Wang Songping, director of the Tibet Tourism Development Commission told the Daily.

Tibet received about 23.15 million domestic and foreign tourists, an increase of 14.7 per cent year-on-year. Tourism created jobs for 100,000 Tibetan farmers and herdsmen last year, he said.