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NK 'limits' foreign visitors as it might face reception problems ahead of the peak season

Global Times

By Liu Caiyu Source:Global Times Published: 2019/3/11 22:03:40 Last Updated: 2019/3/12 3:26:15

Tourists flood into nation since first summit

North Korea has allegedly issued a travel restriction on foreign visitors as it might face reception problems ahead of the peak season.

A source close to North Korea told the Global Times on Monday that North Korea will restrict the number of foreign visitors to the country to 1,000 per day starting March 18.

Staff from many travel agencies, including China International Travel Service and BTG International Travel and Tours, reached by the Global Times on Monday also said they had received a notice from North Korea's tourism authority requiring them to limit the number of Chinese visitors to the country.

But the North Korean government has yet to officially announce the notice.

The alleged notice came amid a flood of foreign visitors to North Korea after the first North Korea-US summit in June 2018.

The number of foreign visitors to North Korea per day peaked around July and August 2018, with about 1,800 people going to the country daily on average, reaching the limit that North Korea would accept, industry insiders noted.

Internal sources told Global Times in an interview in June 2018 that some 100,000 people visit North Korea each year, and 80 percent of them are from China.

In the face of the unexpected tourism boom, the alleged restriction was due to North Korea's low visitor reception capability and should not be viewed as a sign that the country is closing its doors, given the open gesture it has shown since last year. There is no doubt that the country will continue to open and develop its tourism industry.

Tourism will continue to act as a core industry for North Korea for foreign currency, as it is still under UN sanctions, Lü Chao, a research fellow at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.

Lü pointed out that the huge progress on the Korean Peninsula issue last year, such as the US-North Korea summit, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visiting China and easing relations between North and South Koreas, had largely boosted its tourism industry, and the peaceful trend is likely to continue this year.

Chinese citizens hailed North Korea's open gesture, who are more willing to have a look at the neighboring country and experience a taste of history, Lü said.

Lü predicted the number of Chinese visitors to North Korea would reach the same level as or even surpass last year's level.

However, limited hotels and vehicles won't allow huge amounts of people flowing into the country, especially when it enters peak season starting the end of March, Che Yinghe, the founder of INDPRK travel agency, told the Global Times.

Che reminded tourists who plan to visit the country to book their tour 15 days ahead.

Koryo Hotel, Yanggakdo Hotel and Sosan Hotel are the hotels open to foreign visitors. Chinese visitors only allow visits to North Korea through group tours, flying from Beijing or Shenyang or taking a train from Dandong, Liaoning Province or Yanji, Jilin Province.

Tourism generates revenues estimated at $44 million a year for North Korea's economy, UK-based newspaper The Guardian reported in April 2018, citing a study from the Korea Maritime Institute, a think tank based in South Korea.