While China has opened up the People’’s Republic of China (PRC) for visa-free entry or transit to a total of 77 nationalities from over 50 countries in an effort to give a boost to its flagging economy, Tibet remains a rare exception to the applicability of this rule. Even travels within Tibet are subjected to obtaining of further, specific permits, underlining the severe lack of accessibility to the region over which China has launched a new assimilation campaign under the vigour of President Xi Jinping’s renewed Sinicization drive.
Tourists visiting the PRC can “move freely between provinces and cities”; however, Tibet is a significant exception, noted the travel website travelandtourworld.com Mar 27, correcting its claim in an earlier article.
All foreign passport holders — including those from visa-free countries — must obtain a Tibet Travel Permit (TTP) in addition to their Chinese visa (or visa exemption) to enter the Tibet Autonomous Region, the report noted.
