More trains to Lhasa in time for summer demand    

Travel agents in Shanghai have hailed the increase in the frequency of direct trains between Shanghai and Lhasa as demand for tours to the Tibet Autonomous Region increases.

From today, there will be a train departing at 8 pm daily for Lhasa from Shanghai Railway Station, arriving two days later. Previously, there was one train every two days. The most expensive berth costs around 1,400 yuan ($209), and the cheapest seat 406 yuan ($60).

Summer is the best season for visiting Tibet, according to an agent surnamed Liu from Shanghai Travel Agency, and the newly-added trains could bring a 20 to 30 percent hike in the number of Tibet package tours his agency sells.

"Most of our customers choose to take the train to Tibet not only because it's cheaper than flying, but also as a way to gradually adapt to the higher altitude," Liu said. "The scenery along the route is also very beautiful."

Travel agencies in Shanghai offer tours from six to 12 days in length, at prices of up to almost 6,000 yuan ($896).

According to information on the Lhasa Railway Station website, trains from Shanghai to Lhasa in the next two weeks are fully booked.

The 40 hotels in Tibet listed on Chinese travel booking website Ctrip.com have taken 32 percent more bookings in the second half of June than during the same period last year, according to statistics provided by Ctrip.com.

Yu Nengda, an events manager from Hunan, went to Tibet in 2008 without using a travel agency, as he believed the package tours would not be a good option.

"I made many enquiries with agencies, but I did not think their itineraries were interesting," said Yu. "Tibet is more about the culture, which is rooted not only in the palaces and temples, but also in the lives of local people. However, I didn't see any packages that would allow me to spend time with locals," Yu said.

Yu added that he lived in a Tibetan house during his travels, and that his hosts had been very kind and willing to tell him many things about their culture.

However, Zhang Wu'an, a spokesman from Spring International Travel Agency, told the Global Times that agencies can not offer such tours so easily.

"If there were a misunderstanding between our customers and locals because of their cultural differences, it could be a very serious headache for our travel agency," Zhang said.