Nyingchi emerges as Xizang's tourism hotspot

Nyingchi in Xizang autonomous region is rapidly emerging as one of the region's most popular tourist destinations, with visitor numbers and revenues surging over the past three years.

Known as an "earthly peach blossom land" for its mountain scenery and spring blooms, Nyingchi has seen tourism become a major driver of growth. In 2024, the city welcomed 15.3 million visitors, up from around 10 million in 2021, and generated 13.8 billion yuan ($1.92 billion) in tourism revenue, according to local authorities.

International arrivals also jumped, with 57,000 foreign tourists contributing 160 million yuan in foreign exchange, increases of approximately 288 percent and 282 percent, respectively, year on year.

In the first five months of this year, Nyingchi attracted more than six million domestic and international visitors, earning 5.2 billion yuan in tourism income, increases of 9.34 percent and 13.16 percent, respectively, compared with last year, said Li Shijiang, deputy mayor of Nyingchi, at the press conference introducing the city's achievements on Friday.

Focusing on building a world-class eco-cultural tourism destination, the city held a Cultural and Tourism Industry Development Conference to drive high-quality growth in the sector in February, he added.

Economic indicators reflect this surge. Nyingchi's GDP reached 26.8 billion yuan in 2024, 1.28 times its 2021 level, with an average annual growth rate of more than 8 percent. Urban and rural per capita disposable incomes rose to 49,621 yuan and 27,427 yuan, respectively, up 20 percent and 26 percent from 2021, data from the local authorities showed.

Foreign trade also expanded sharply. The city's total trade volume climbed to 8.42 million yuan last year, an increase of over 573 percent, as local agricultural products, including apples, mushrooms, tea, and hemp, entered markets in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Nepal, and Canada, Li said.

According to the deputy mayor, the city is also positioning itself as a clean-energy base, with industrial clusters taking shape across the sector. Alongside hosting major events, such as the China Xizang Trans-Himalaya Forum for International Cooperation, Nyingchi is increasingly seen as a window to the region's economic transformation and growing openness to the world.