Following a pair of self-immolations in Tibet last week, ABC News reports that China has indefinitely barred foreign tourists from entering the region. There have been more than 30 self-immolations in Tibet since March 2011, with the most recent coming in late May when two young men set fire to themselves outside the Jokhang Temple.
Tibet relies on tourism to generate approximately $1 billion in annual revenue, and the region had previously projected tourism to comprise approximately 20 percent of the its GDP. While it is not the first time China has barred tourists from Tibet, most closures generally coincide with the National Uprising Day, celebrated every March.
