North Korea has abruptly halted tourism just weeks after allowing Western visitors for the first time in five years.

Axar.az, citing BBC, reports that the country, which had sealed its borders in early 2020 due to Covid-19, began reopening in mid-2023, first to Russian tourists and then to Westerners in Rason in February 2024.

However, several tour companies, including KTG Tours and Young Pioneer Tours, have now reported that trips are suspended indefinitely, with no explanation from Pyongyang. The move casts doubt on upcoming events like the Pyongyang Marathon. Prior to the pandemic, North Korea received around 350,000 foreign tourists annually, mostly from China.