China’s ambassador to North Korea has voiced hope that foreign tourists will be able to enjoy skiing at a winter resort just across the border, though travel industry insiders say the appeal is unlikely to impact the DPRK’s stalled reopening to a Chinese market that once dominated its foreign tourism sector.

Ambassador Wang Yajun made the comments after leading a delegation of Chinese officials to visit cities in North Korea’s northern Ryanggang Province last week, including its administrative capital Hyesan and the remote border city of Samjiyon near Mount Paektu, according to press releasesissued by the Chinese Embassy from