The Tibetan economy has long been dependent on tourism -- could that spawn a boom in other services?
Mysticism. Adventure. Art and Music. Treasure-filled palaces, cliff-set temples. It’s no wonder Tibet is on the bucket list of most travellers. That means not just investment opportunities in F&B, accommodation, but also culture and leisure.
We are just minutes away from the opening of the Princess Wencheng Musical, a must-see for tourists in Tibet. Seats are going to be packed soon because audience numbers have doubled over the past year.
The investor behind the success -- said the first two years were tough and he made a loss of 100 million yuan, but now the show is a huge hit and he has bigger ambitions.
"Next year we'll create a Tibetan cultural heritage park, as well as a new musical "Princess Jincheng," said Qiu Wei, chairman of Usunhome Group.
Aside from the billion dollar musical, Usunhome has also built a commercial street -- creating 3,000 jobs locally. Qiu hopes to break even as soon as next year.
Qiu also said, "The majority of our customers are from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, they can't get enough of Tibet's scenery and culture, because they live in bustling metropolises, they want to find spiritual serenity and purity of heart in Tibet, a lot of good feelings."
On the outskirts of Lhasa, is Niangre folk resort -- which combines cultural performances with leisure activities.
"Opened in 1998, this resort provides nearby villagers a choice to hold weddings and celebrate festivals. They no longer need to go far to enjoy holidays," said Ge Long, villager.
The ancient treatment of Traditional Tibetan Medicine -- is also growing its fan base.
"The trend is towards more inlanders wanting to learn TTM, as well as more foreigners. We've received students from the US. TTM has 3,800 years of history, it offers low cost, convenient and effective treatment," said Jia Cuo, administration director of Traditional Tibetan Medicine Hospital.
Services are the biggest part of Tibet's economy -- at almost 60% of GDP, but it doesn't employ as many people as agriculture. Addressing that imbalance through more services jobs for Tibetans -- would be something worth singing about.
