In 2005 and 2006 TPAF implemented a program to help upgrade to international standards the services provided at Tibetan-owned hotels located in Lhasa, Nakchu and Amdo Municipalities. A total of 127 management and staff from 13 Lhasa and 4 Nakchu Prefecture hotels received two months of practical “hands on” training at the Tibetan-owned (three star) Saikang Hotel in Lhasa. The goal was to enable the hotels to attract more foreign and mainland Chinese tourists. The training led to the formation of a Tibetan Hotel Association intended to promote collaborative efforts to attract an increasing share of the tourist market for Tibetan hotels and other Tibetan cultural activities.
TPAF also collaborated with several Nakchu Prefecture government units to improve the international tourist appeal and appreciation of the local culture and ecology in the pristine Drolma Valley in southern Nakchu Prefecture. TPAF assistance included the construction of a tourist hostel and the provision of supplies and equipment for trekking and for a tourist reception area and signage describing the history, flora and fauna and nomadic culture of the Valley. TPAF also provided foreign language training for Tibetan guides, management training for a Drolma Valley business manager and training of local cooks in improved presentation of Tibetan and Chinese food dishes. Separately, TPAF helped local artisans to improve the design and appeal of products they wished to sell to tourists in the Drolma Valley.
During 2007, TPAF helped with the establishment of a website promoting tourist awareness and interest in staying at Tibetan Hotels and visiting the Drolma Valley in Nakchu Prefecture. (www.tibetnorthernholyland.com)