Tibet receives 1.2 mln tourists during holiday

LHASA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region received more than 1.2 million tourists, up 16.5 percent year on year, during the National Day holiday, local tourism authorities said Monday.

These tourists brought revenue of 589 million yuan (89 million U.S. dollars), up 20 percent year on year, said a statement issued by the regional tourism development commission.

During the holiday, a highway linking the two major cities and tourist attractions Lhasa and Nyingchi opened, cutting travel time from eight hours to five hours, said the statement.

China had an eight-day holiday for the National Day this year, one more day than usual as Mid-Autumn Day fell on Oct. 4.