Pastoralism and Rangeland Management on the Tibetan Plateau in ...

ased tourism products (including ecotourism). The highest preference is for
ecotourism, followed by adventure tourism <strong>and</strong> cultural tourism. From the
analysis, pristine natural environments will continue to be welcomed by tourists
from both the domestic <strong>and</strong> international market into the future. The Namtso
Scenic Area, with its beautiful natural environment <strong>and</strong> its mysterious <strong>and</strong>
unique Tibetan culture has met all of the requirements for building a worldclass
tourist destination. Its unique advantages in resources, the increasing
number of foreign tourists <strong>and</strong> the rising dem<strong>and</strong> for its tourism products have
created favourable conditions for the development of different tourist products
<strong>and</strong> have increased the attractiveness of the NSA as a tourist destination.
1.2 Status quo of tourism development in the NSA
Source:
Controlled Execution Plan
for Development of
Namtso Scenic Area,
Lhasa (2006–2020)
Figure 1:
Tourism preferences of
Lhasa visitors
Lake Namtso, as a famous religious pilgrimage, has a long history of religious
activities. In 1980, when Tibet opened its doors to the outside world, Namtso
was among the first sites to attract foreign tourists. In 2002, it was designated
as a regional nature reserve, <strong>and</strong> planning was started to build an entire scenic
area in 2008. On December 28, 2009, the NSA was officially included in the
seventh batch of the National Scenic Areas. The Namtso scenery has plateau
lakes, mountain glaciers <strong>and</strong> geothermal hot springs. It has a typical plateau
l<strong>and</strong>scape with mountains <strong>and</strong> lakes. Its unique climate <strong>and</strong> complex <strong>and</strong>
diverse geological conditions make it even more mysterious.
At the same time, the scenic area has been the site of activities for Tibetans since
ancient times. History, culture <strong>and</strong> religious beliefs have combined to create a
unique religious <strong>and</strong> cultural heritage, adding cultural connotations to its most
breathtaking natural beauty. The scenic area has 51 natural spots <strong>and</strong> twelve
cultural spots. It has two “hearts” (Lake Namtso <strong>and</strong> Nyainqentanglha Peak), <strong>and</strong>
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> > > 3. Eco-tourism <strong>and</strong> Nature Protection in Relation to <strong>Pastoralism</strong> <strong>and</strong> Rangel<strong>and</strong> <strong>Management</strong>