North Korea restricting Chinese tourism after Hanoi summit

SEOUL, March 12 (UPI) -- North Korea wants to slow the pace of tourism as more foreigners are traveling to the country, according to Chinese state media.

Beijing's state tabloid Global Times reported Tuesday North Korea wants to limit the number foreign nationals in the country to 1,000 per day, following the Hanoi summit.

According to the report, the number of visitors spiked following the talks, which ended without a deal between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.

North Korea specifically asked Chinese travel agencies to restrict the number of Chinese visitors.

Tourism has been steadily rising since the first U.S.-North Korea summit in Singapore. South Korean news service Seoul Pyongyang News reported the number of visitors in July and August 2018 averaged about 1,800 people per day.

The influx of tourists may have been too much for the relatively isolated state, currently under international sanctions.

Tourism is an important source of revenue; according to South Korean estimates, North Korea makes about $44 million annually from foreign visitors.

Pyongyang wants tourism to rebound after years of missile tests and weapons provocations.

South Korean newspaper Maeil Business reported Monday North Korea has been promoting the Mount Kumgang tourist region on a state-sanctioned website.

North Korea's Chosun Mount Kumgang International Travel Agency is promoting "ecotourism" and emphasizing the investment value of the region.

North Korea has previously called on foreign investors to consider a "shopping mall complex" in Kosong, Kangwon Province, according to Maeil Business.

Mount Kumgang was once a favored destination among South Korean tourists before 2008, when a South Korean woman was fatally shot by North Korean guards when she wandered into a military area.