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Tibet is a very large country: a common misunderstanding for tourists wishing to go to Tibet is the notion that Tibet is only the Tibet Autonomous Region. Tibetans regard Tibet as also including most of Qinghai province and parts of Sichuan, Gansu and Yunnan provinces. Tibetans have lived and ruled in these areas for thousands of years. The map below shows all Tibetan inhabited areas.

Should You Travel to Tibet? Most Tibetans support tourism because it constitutes a means by which the outside world can learn of conditions in Tibet and the aspirations of Tibetans. Tibetans regard the presence of foreigners in Tibet as a source of hope. The Dalai Lama encourages people to travel to Tibet and bear witness to the suffering of the Tibetans under repressive Chinese policies and to act on this information on their return. However, we recommend that you do not travel to Tibet without appraising yourself of the sensitive political situation or making an effort to ensure, as far as possible, that your visit benefits Tibetans (see below). We also recommend that you continue to support the Tibetan people by joining acampaign organisation on your return. These two alternative guides for prospective travelers to Tibet are a must read: 1. Alternative Travel Guide to Tibet (International Campaign for Tibet; page 49) 2. Tibet: the Alternative Travel Guide (Free Tibet; page 4) For up to date information about how to travel to Tibet independently, we recommend purchasing a recently-published guidebook, such as Rough Guide to Tibet.

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International Tibet Support Network recommends the following "dos" for travelers to Tibet:

1. Do Patronise Tibetan businesses. To support Tibetans, Tibetan culture and the Tibetan economy, buy from Tibetan-owned shops and stalls and eat in Tibetan restaurants as far as possible. If you hire a guide and driver, ask to hire Tibetans. It is easier to folow this guidance if you are an independent traveler, but if you plan to visit Tibet with an organised group tour, ask travel companies their policy on supporting Tibetan businesses, and select your tour company according to the response. Tibetans are disadvantaged in Tibet's economy, lacking the education, training and language to be able to compete with the influx of Chinese immigrants. Tibetans are now a minority in Tibet's capital city, Lhasa.

2. Do Avoid Buying Antiques Tibet's cultural artifacts have been destroyed and plundered since China occupied Tibet in 1949/50. You can help preserve what remains of Tibet's cultural artifact by not buying antiques and thereby discouraging further depletion of Tibetan artifacts.

3. Do Help Protect Tibet's Wildlife Do not buy any products made from endangered species, particularly animal skins. Tibetans stopped wearing animal skins after the Dalai Lama appealed to all Tibetans to cease the practice in 2006. Many Tibetans in Tibet symbolically burned their furs in response to the Dalai Lama's appeal.

4. Do Avoid Putting Tibetans at Risk Tibet is tightly monitored by both uniformed and plain clothed agents. Giving photos of the Dalai Lama or raising sensitive political issues with ordinary Tibetans could put Tibetans at risk after you have left. If Tibetans share information with you, make sure you do not discuss his/her identity with security personnel while in Tibet, and be wary of keeping written records that could incriminate Tibetans if your luggage was searched. (Once out of Tibet, if you wish to share information, pass it on to Tibetan Government in Exile, or other legitimate information-gathering organisations such as TCHRD, ICT, SFT, FTC etc.)

5. Do Avoid Putting Yourself at Risk Whilst in Tibet, you should assume that your communication is being monitored (mobile phone calls, emails and so on). A number of foreigners have been deported for political activity, or on suspicion of attempting to carry sensitive political information out of Tibet. If caught, you are likely to be rigorously interrogated and swiftly deported, but there have been instances of foreigners being detained for up to two weeks (for example, for burning a Chinese flag). Any Tibetans whom you have had contact with will face much harsher treatment and risk arrest, torture and imprisonment. Taking photographs of sensitive places could lead to questioning or seizure of your camera.