Travel Agents in China said on Monday the authorities have closed the troubled Tibetan region to foreign tourists, ahead of the third anniversary of violent anti-government riots there. According to an official of Xizang Tourist General Company in the region's capital Lhasa, the tourism bureau would not give permission to foreigners to come to Tibet in March and as far as April is concerned they are still awaiting notification of any rule changes. However, one firm said that permission for foreign tourists to come to the region would take at least 10 days to be approved. China routinely limits foreign travel to Tibet, requiring overseas tourists to obtain special permits, in addition to Chinese visas, and also travel in tour groups. In the wake of anti-government riots in Lhasa in March 2008, which left parts of the city burned and looted, foreign tourists were banned from travelling to the Himalayan region for more than a year.