Beijing - China has suspended foreign tourism to China's Tibet Autonomous Region before next week's celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, sources said on Tuesday. The government notified travel agencies in the regional capital, Lhasa, that they would only be allowed to receive foreign tour groups again after October 13, an employee at the Tibet China Youth Travel Service told the German Press Agency dpa.
"Could you please come after the holiday," the employee said, referring to the eight-day National Day holiday from October 1, when the Communist Party plans to marks the 60th anniversary with a military parade in Beijing.
A Beijing-based tour operator also confirmed that permits for foreign tour groups to visit Tibet were suspended, in a move that appears to be linked to fears of more anti-Chinese protests in the region.
Asked about the restrictions on Tuesday, foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said she had "not heard" of any new rules.
"You should check with relevant authorities," Jiang told reporters.
The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post said the notice on the immediate suspension of foreign tour groups was given to tour operators in Tibet late Sunday.
Tourists who already had permits would be allowed to stay in Tibet but tour operators were ordered "keep a close eye" on them and would be held responsible for any misdeeds, the newspaper said.
The Tibet China Youth Travel employee and a receptionist at a hotel in central Lhasa both reported a heavier than usual police presence on the streets on Tuesday, with the employee adding that the city was "very safe" because of the high security.
State media said Tibet was still expecting a bumper week for Chinese tourists over the National Day holiday.
Sun Yongping, Deputy Director of Tibet Regional Tourism Bureau, told state media recently that Tibet was forecast to receive 5 million tourists this year, after a record 1.37 million people visited the region last month, most of of them domestic tourists.
Foreign tourists need a special permit in addition to a Chinese visa and they must register with a travel agency, while the region has always been closed to foreign journalists except for government-run tours.
China also suspended the permits for about one month in March and April during two sensitive anniversaries in Tibet.
The government also tightened border security and cut off some text messaging and other mobile telephone services in Tibetan areas.
The crackdown came amid reports of several small protests and a civil disobedience campaign by Tibetans around the 50th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
It was also designed to ensure there were no repeats of the widespread anti-Chinese protests in Tibetan areas in March and April 2008, after which foreign tourists were banned from Tibet for nearly three months.
