The 2013 Peach Blossom Festival from March 23 to April 30 in Nyingchi Prefecture,southeast Tibet, is a prelude to Tibet's tourism season, according to Wang Songping,vice chief of Tibet Tourism Bureau.

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According to the organizer of the Peach Blossom Festival, group tourists from China'sHong Kong and Macao, with a total of 1,200 people, will make their tour up to thehighland in four batches from March 19th to March 28th. Itinerary will cover places likeLhasa, Nyingchi and Xigaze.

Tibet's tourism season lasts from the end of April to the end of October. AlthoughMarch is not included, it has begun to see a slowly climbing growth rate of touristnumber this year. 

Famous scenic spots such as the Potala Palace, Lhasa's land mark, the BarkhorStreet, the Jokhang Temple, Norbulingka are geared up for more tourists as theweather gets warm, signaling a long-term prosperity in tourism.

78-year-old Cantonese Li Yonghui coming for the Peach Blossom Festival said that hewas extremely interested in the unique ethnic cultures and the religious atmosphere inTibet, although he has not got used to the thin oxygen as it is his virgin trip to theplateau. 

"Tibet boasts of untouched scenery and preserved tranquility, which is for me morealluring than man-made construction." Li said. 

Early this month at China's annual "Two Sessions", Losang Dampa, a deputy of the12th National People's Congress and chairman of the Standing Committee of LhasaPeople's Congress, said that "Tibet will open its arms to friends from home andabroad." And he hoped that more people from all over the world will come to visit Tibetand experience its beauty and charm. 

In 2012, tourist number to Tibet hit a record high of over 11 mln, generating 13.2 blnyuan (about 2.1 bln USD) tourist revenue.

For this year, Tibet strives for receiving 12.6 mln international and domestic tourists.