New Delhi: North Korea, the country in Asia is shrouded in mystery since little information is known about them. It was even shunned to foreign tourists, up until recent week. In the past week, a small group of foreign tourists visited North Korea. Notably, it was the first time international travelers entered the country in five years except for a group of Russian tourists who went to the North last year.
According to reports, the latest trip is possibly an indication that North Korea is preparing to fully resume international tourism as it will bring in the foreign currency, which is important to revive the country’s struggling economy. Koryo Tours, a travel company based in Beijing has said that it arranged a trip of five days from February 20 to February 24 for 13 international tourists who went to Rason, a city on northeastern North Korean border where the special economic zone of the country is located. According to Simon Cockerell, the general manager of Koryo Tours, tourists in Rason visited factories, shops, schools and the statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.
The ban on tourists in North Korea
After the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea banned the entry of tourists and sent out the diplomats. In one of the most severe COVID-19 restrictions in the world, North Korea also severely curtailed border traffic. But since 2022, the country which is known for maintaining an iron curtain over its affairs, has started to slowly ease the curbs and is reopening its borders.
In February 2024, around 100 Russian tourists visited North Korea. It was reportedly the first time after the pandemic that foreign nationals had visited the country for sightseeing. It came as a surprise to many observers who estimated that the first tourists in the post-pandemic era would come from China, the biggest trading partner of North Korea and a major ally. As per South Korea’s Unification Ministry who cited official Russian data, about 880 Russian tourists visited North Korea throughout 2024.
It reportedly shows the growing close relations between North Korea and Russia, with the former supplying the European superpower with weapons and troops in its war against Ukraine. Tourism was a booming industry for North Korea before the pandemic, and the latest news signals a revival of that sector in the country. In June, it is expected that North Korea would open a massive tourism site on the east coast.
However, Chinese tourists, who formed the bulk of North Korea’s international tourism, is yet to visit the country after the pandemic and following the opening up of international tourism in the country. However, there are several restrictions on foreign tourists in North Korea, like mandatorily moving with local guides and ban on photography at sensitive places.
After five years of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea cautiously reopened its borders to international tourism. A recent trip by tourists to the Rason marked the first significant influx of foreign visitors signals a potential revival of the tourism sector crucial to the country’s struggling economy. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
