LHASA - More than 400 million yuan ($63.5 million) has been earmarked to develop tourism in southeastern Tibet, by south China's Guangdong provincial government as partner assistance.

Nyingchi prefecture in southeastern Tibet, with abundant virgin forests, snow mountains, rivers and pastures, has "potential golden tourism resources," a partner assistance official in Tibet said Saturday.

Guangdong provincial government has designated four counties in Nyingchi prefecture to develop. An international tourism town is planned for Nyingchi county in the prefecture, which is expected to attract investment of more than 2 billion yuan from government and enterprises, the official said.

Besides the tourism town project, 22 well-off model villages, each with an investment of 4.5 million yuan, will be built in three years to help local residents to provide family hotel services and increase their own incomes, the official said.