Tibet to build three national parks

Setting its sights on making Tibet a "world tourism destination," the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) plans to build national parks at Mount Zhumulangma, Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon and Namco, according to Tibet Business News.

TAR aims to accelerate the construction and renovation of public service facilities with 4A-level or above in scenic areas and construct market-operation projects,

Fortunately, a series of measures taken by the regional government and tourism departments, especially the introduction of financial products with internationalized tourism culture by the Export-Import Bank of China (EIBC), have injected energy into the construction of Tibet tourism.

Since March of this year, Wang Yuanyuan, president of the Chengdu Branch of EIBC, visited Tibet three times to learn more about the financing needs of the tourism project. On April 2, EIBC signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Tibet Autonomous Region People's Government in Chengdu.

After negotiations in Chengdu, the Tibet Autonomous Region Tourism Bureau and the Chengdu Branch of EIBC will soon begin operation of the financial products with internationalized tourism culture based on the agreement following the plan of allocating 1 billion yuan to support the first international tourism culture project in Tibet, the Lhasa Intercontinental Hotel.

The Chengdu branch will fully support the construction of the three national parks in Tibet and visit the region for detailed consultation in the near future.

Wang Songping, deputy director general of the Tibet Autonomous Region Tourism Bureau, said after they complete the feasibility report for existing cooperation, leaders of EIBC's head office will visit Lhasa and Chengdu in July to meet with the autonomous region government. There they will hold an internationalized tourism culture symposium for financing the project.

They will subdivide the 12th Five-Year Plan, determine the overall cooperation direction and objective, and sign the Memorandum of Understanding. In September this year, the Chengdu Branch will organize branch officials of coastal areas to visit Tibet and investigate the cooperation project and join hands with other commercial banks to participate in the development of the financial products with internationalized tourism culture in Tibet.

By People's Daily Online