By Cai Haoxiang

Mountains and monasteries, anyone?

Local travel agencies are gearing up to attract Singaporeans to Tibet now that the ban on foreign travel has been lifted.

"We are in the midst of revamping our itinerary for Tibet and should be able to launch it by next week," said Ms Eileen Oh, deputy general manager of marketing communications at ASA Holidays.

Three months ago, anti-government riots erupted in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet. An unfortunate consequence of the riots was that travellers could no longer enjoy the Himalayan mountains and Buddhist monasteries that dominate the Tibetan landscape.

In the wake of the unrest, the Chinese government stopped issuing travel permits to tourists. Officials said the restrictions were to ensure the safety of foreign tourists and journalists.

The Chinese government also sent troops into nearby provinces where sympathy demonstrations were occurring. However, security seems to have been re-established.

As of yesterday, foreign visitors are now free to enter the area again. According to Xinhua, domestic tour groups have been allowed in since late April.

An Associated Press news report mentioned that life in Lhasa had returned to normal, although there were still signs of tension. Last Saturday, the Olympic torch relay passed through Tibet without incident.

A notice on the Tibet tourism bureau's website said that Tibet's society is "stable" and "harmonious".

"Tibet is now open to all travellers from home and abroad," said Tibetan Tourism Bureau spokesman Liao Lisheng.

However, Drepung, one of Lhasa's main monasteries, remains shut. Buddhist monasteries are viewed as seedbeds of anti-government sentiment.

S'poreans going to Tibet?

Because the Tibetan unrest is so recent, Singaporeans might not immediately think of going to Tibet despite the lifted ban.

"Singaporeans are usually more cautious after an incident takes place," Ms Oh said.

Travellers to Tibet are often a mixed group, travel agencies said. They comsist of senior citizens who travel for leisure and backpackers, who are of a younger age.

The younger backpackers are perhaps those who are likely to travel to Tibet now. "They are more adventurous," said Ms Oh.

Moreover, the peak season for Tibetan tourism - July to September - is coming up, she added. This is because of the Xuedun Festival in August, said CTC Travel's marketing vice president Joycelyn Su.

Xuedun is Tibetan for "yoghurt feast". It is a folk festival originating from before the 17th century, when monks were originally prohibited from leaving the monastery for days in the summer.

Once they are allowed to leave, the monks will go to the village, where villagers prepare yoghurt as alms. Gradually, it developed into a fixed festival with yak races and local opera performances.

Up till the ban on entry, Tibet has been experiencing a massive influx of tourists.

More than 4 million tourists visited Tibet last year, up 64 per cent from the year earlier, official figures showed.

The two travel agencies interviewed said that they handled a total of 1,700 Singaporean travellers to Tibet every year.

This article was first published in The New Paper on June 27, 2008.