Cattle herders are transitioning to hoteliers and tour guides in rural Tibet as China pushes the region toward the tourism economy. Villagers used to speaking only the Tibetan language have been given Mandarin classes to help them communicate with Chinese visitors. Cultural and catering training is also offered.
Tourism in Tibet is taking off with 35 million tourist visits last year. It has helped alleviate poverty but experts fear it could damage local culture and traditional lifestyles.
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