LHASA — Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region received more than 1.2 million tourists, up 16.5 percent year-on-year, during the National Day holiday, local tourism authorities said Monday.

These tourists brought revenue of 589 million yuan ($89 million), up 20 percent year-on-year, said a statement issued by the regional tourism development commission.

During the holiday, a highway linking the two major cities and tourist attractions Lhasa and Nyingchi opened, cutting travel time from eight hours to five hours, said the statement.

China had an eight-day holiday for the National Day this year, one more day than usual as Mid-Autumn Day fell on Oct 4.