Overseas tourists will find it easier and faster to apply for a travel permit to Tibet this year as the regional government makes efforts to boost tourism.

The Tibet autonomous region plans to cut the time for issuing travel permits to overseas tourists by half in 2019, Qi Zhala, chairman of the regional government, said on Thursday. Now, it normally takes at least 15 days to receive the permits after they submit the requested documents.

Tibet plans to brand itself as the world's "Third Pole" and hopes to attract 40 million visits from tourists this year by providing more convenient and friendly services as well as significantly improving accessibility for visitors, Qi Zhala said in a government work report to the annual session of the regional people's congress, which started on Thursday in Lhasa.