LHASA, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Ngari Prefecture in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region saw its tourist income reach 1.042 billion yuan (152 million U. S. dollars) in 2018.

Ngari, at an average altitude of 4,500 meters, is nicknamed the "top of the roof of the world." Tourists from home and abroad made 870,800 trips to the prefecture last year, according to the local tourism development commission.

Local farmers and herders in Ngari made around 113 million yuan by participating in the tourism industry either directly or indirectly.

Zhou Shu, an official of the commission, said the prefecture has cooperated with Kashgar in Xinjiang, Yushu in Qinghai and Nagchu in Tibet to develop tourism.

Relying on improved transportation infrastructure, Ngari has been developing four tourist routes to feature different cultural and natural sceneries.