LHASA, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, saw more than 6.42 million visitors to the city in the first half of 2019, up 18.72 percent year on year, local tourism authorities said Wednesday.

The city raked in 10.9 billion yuan (1.58 billion U.S. dollars) from tourism in the same period, up 25.46 percent year on year, according to the Lhasa tourism development bureau.

Lhasa is home to some of China's most renowned cultural and tourist sites such as the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple.

In a bid to attract more winter tourists, Tibet has rolled out a spate of preferential policies including waiving admission charges for some scenic spots and discounted flights during the winter.