All people in the areas where the QinghaiTibet Railway runs regard the railway as a hope for the development of the local economy. After its completion. The railway will greatly benefit Tibets industries in mining, biology, green beverages, medicine and pharmaceuticals, farming, animal husbandry, and ethnic handicrafts. Meanwhile, many local products will be transported outside through the railway, and more and more tourists will enter Tibet by train.
Tibet boasts unmatched landscapes: magnificent snowcapped mountains, vast grasslands, and dense forests. The famous Himalayas lay south of the plateau, including the imposing Mt. Everest.
Tibet also maintains an ancient, splendid ethnic culture. The ruins of the Ancient Shang Shung Culture, the site of the Guge Kingdom, and the Potala Palace on the plateau display endless charm.
One of the major goals of constructing the railway is the development of Tibets tourism resources and the acceleration of local economic development. At present, revenues, from tourism account for 5 percent of total local revenues. Tibet receives more than 400,000 visitors every year, with an estimated increase to one million in 2010. Because of current traffic conditions, travel agencies charge customers a lot for a trip to Tibet. A return air ticket from Chengud, the capital of Sichuan Province, to Lhasa costs 2,400 yuan. With additional expenses, a trip to Tibet costs a Chinese traveler more than a trip abroad. After the railway is in place, it will take just 50 hours to travel by train from Beijing to Lhasa, and some 20 hours from Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province, to Lhasa. An inexpensive way to travel to Tibet, the railway will enable passengers to enjoy the beautiful landscapes and gradually acclimate themselves to the plateaus highaltitude, thus relieving mountain sickness.
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