ICT launched an 'alternative' travel guide to Tibet, which describes how China is seeking to promote Tibetan culture for tourism while it continues to suppress the unique Tibetan identity. "Interpreting Tibet: A Political Guide to Traveling in Tibet," offers a perspective for the traveler who seeks a more balanced picture of their destination than China's representations.

The report is published at a time when tightened travel restrictions in Tibet counter the impression that Beijing is seeking to convey of increased openness in the run-up to the Olympics. The restrictions affecting foreigners traveling to the Tibet Autonomous Region, which appear to have serious implications for certain groups of travelers, are apparently in response to a protest by members from Students for a Free Tibet, including a Tibetan American, at Mount Chomolungma (Everest) base camp on April 25. China's reaction indicates its concern about other possible protests in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics in August 2008, and shows that it is more of a priority for Beijing to prevent dissent than to earn tourist dollars.

John Ackerly, President of the International Campaign for Tibet, said: "ICT's report: 'Interpreting Tibet: A Political Guide to Traveling in Tibet,' describes how China promotes tourism in Tibet and, at the same time, suppresses what makes Tibet unique. China wants to control how tourists experience Tibet. This alternative guide unmasks the propaganda and offers a way for tourists, and tour operators, to be aware and well-informed."

ICT recommends that tourists read "Interpreting Tibet" before they leave for Tibet. Carrying a copy in a backpack or suitcase into Tibet could be regarded as a political or 'splittist' act (in other words, as an attempt to 'split' the motherland), and could therefore put local contacts at risk.

In contrast to travelers' experiences in the late 1980s in Tibet, when they directly witnessed brutal repression during the years of pro-independence protests and the imposition of martial law, tourists in Tibet today sometimes do not witness any form of overt repression or degradation of the Tibetan culture. For instance, luxury hotels are built in Tibetan style, giving the illusion of the preservation of the 'authentic' culture, and foreigners can see Tibetan devotional practice everywhere, which can give the appearance of religious freedom or that Tibetan Buddhism is thriving.

"Interpreting Tibet" gives a reality check on the sights of Lhasa, exploring how both China's assertions of power and Tibetan expressions of identity are revealed in the architecture of the city, as well as the reality behind Tibet's apparent economic progress. The report advises tourists how to avoid putting Tibetans, and themselves, at risk, and offers tips on how to understand the signs of religious repression, and subtle acts of dissent by Tibetans.