LHASA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, saw more than 19.9 million visitors to the city in 2018, up by 23.87 percent year on year, local authorities said Tuesday.

The city raked in 28.28 billion yuan (4.21 billion U.S. dollars) from tourism last year, up 24.33 percent year on year, local tourism authorities said at a press conference.

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

As of October 2018, there were 24 A-level scenic spots, 143 star-rated hotels and 311 travel agencies in Lhasa, said Tashi Dondrup, deputy director of the Lhasa tourism development bureau.

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 flight tickets during winter.

The region received 2.46 million tourists last winter, up 84.2 percent year-on-year.