need a new car? rent to own cars no credit check ...
February 26, 2025
5:59 pm
explore surprisingly affordable luxury ram 1500...
February 26, 2025
6:06 pm
North Korea welcomes foreign tourists for the first time since COVID
February 26, 2025
18:19
For the first time in five years, North Korea has allowed a group of foreign tourists to visit, signaling a potential full reopening of its international tourism sector. Experts suggest this could be an effort to generate much-needed foreign currency to support the country’s struggling economy.
A Beijing-based travel agency, Koryo Tours, arranged a five-day trip from February 20 to 24 for 13 international tourists to the northeastern border city of Rason, home to North Korea’s special economic zone. Travelers from the UK, Canada, Greece, New Zealand, France, Germany, Austria, Australia, and Italy entered the country via land from China.
During their stay, the tourists visited factories, shops, schools, and statues of former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, according to Simon Cockerell, general manager of Koryo Tours.
Recent Posts
want an suv with easy access and comfort for seniors? here’s how to get it!...
February 26, 2025
6:02 pm
drive into the future with the 2025 subaru forester...
February 26, 2025
6:18 pm
explore the 2025 jeep compas: adventure awaits!...
February 26, 2025
5:57 pm
2025 jeep wrangler price one might not want to miss!...
February 26, 2025
5:51 pm
“Since January 2020, North Korea has been closed to all international tourists, and we are glad to have finally found an opening in the Rason area, in the far north of North Korea,” Cockerell said. He added that more group and private tours are now being arranged.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea shut its borders in early 2020, expelling diplomats and implementing some of the world’s most extreme travel restrictions. However, the country has been slowly reopening since 2022.
The first group of foreign tourists allowed into North Korea since the pandemic was approximately 100 Russian visitors in February 2024. In total, around 880 Russian tourists visited throughout the year, according to South Korea’s unification ministry, citing official Russian data.
Recent Posts
celebrate the holidays in a new hyundai palisade...
February 26, 2025
6:12 pm
need a new car? rent to own cars no credit check ...
February 26, 2025
6:14 pm
explore surprisingly affordable luxury ram 1500...
February 26, 2025
5:55 pm
want an suv with easy access and comfort for seniors? here’s how to get it!...
February 26, 2025
6:10 pm
Many observers had expected China, North Korea’s largest trading partner and closest ally, to be the first to resume sending tourists. However, organized group tours from China remain on hold.
Experts believe the increase in Russian tourism reflects the strengthening ties between North Korea and Russia, particularly as North Korea has supplied weapons and troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, relations between North Korea and China have cooled, with China showing reluctance to join a formal three-way alliance with North Korea and Russia against the United States.
Before the pandemic, tourism provided North Korea with a rare source of legitimate foreign currency, as the country faces heavy international sanctions due to its nuclear program. The majority of foreign tourists came from China, accounting for more than 90% of international visitors.
Recent Posts
drive into the future with the 2025 subaru forester...
February 26, 2025
6:09 pm
explore the 2025 jeep compas: adventure awaits!...
February 26, 2025
5:52 pm
2025 jeep wrangler price one might not want to miss!...
February 26, 2025
6:02 pm
celebrate the holidays in a new hyundai palisade...
February 26, 2025
6:04 pm
North Korea is set to open a large-scale tourism complex on the east coast in June. This aligns with comments made in January by President Donald Trump, who, while discussing his past interactions with Kim Jong Un, remarked, “I think he has tremendous condo capabilities. He’s got a lot of shoreline,” likely referring to this new development.
Lee Sangkeun, an expert at South Korea’s Institute for National Security Strategy, noted that before the pandemic, up to 300,000 Chinese tourists visited North Korea annually. He suggested that North Korea is now eager to restart its tourism industry, particularly targeting international visitors.
“North Korea has invested heavily in tourism sites, but domestic demand has remained low,” Lee said. “This move suggests North Korea is seeking to attract a significant number of foreign tourists.”
Recent Posts
need a new car? rent to own cars no credit check ...
February 26, 2025
5:54 pm
explore surprisingly affordable luxury ram 1500...
February 26, 2025
5:55 pm
want an suv with easy access and comfort for seniors? here’s how to get it!...
February 26, 2025
6:07 pm
drive into the future with the 2025 subaru forester...
February 26, 2025
5:58 pm
Despite its efforts to boost tourism, North Korea’s strict control over foreign visitors may limit its appeal. Tourists are typically required to move under the supervision of local guides, and photography is often restricted in sensitive areas.
According to Lee, North Korea is likely to focus on developing tourism in areas where it can closely monitor visitors, such as Rason, the east coast resort site, and the capital, Pyongyang.
The return of Chinese tourists would be crucial for North Korea to fully revive its tourism sector, but whether Beijing will allow large-scale group visits remains uncertain.
This article North Korea welcomes foreign tourists for the first time since COVID appeared first on BreezyScroll.
Read more on BreezyScroll.
Recent Posts
Kerala’s political landscape is famously framed as a fierce, uncompromising battleground between two ideological titans: the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). Every election cycle, this narrative is fueled by...
March 26, 2026
12:21 pm
explore the 2025 jeep compas: adventure awaits!...
March 26, 2026
12:08 pm
The buzz around Dhurandhar: The Revenge has been relentless since its release, driven by star power, strong box office numbers, and emotional storytelling. But amid the excitement, a quiet, deeply human story has surfaced—one that...
March 26, 2026
4:11 am
2025 jeep wrangler price one might not want to miss!...
March 26, 2026
3:55 am
A new national poll suggests a growing unease among Americans over the direction of the Iran conflict, with many questioning both the scale of military action and the judgment behind it. According to findings from...
March 26, 2026
3:59 am
celebrate the holidays in a new hyundai palisade...
March 26, 2026
3:57 am
The phrase cost of war used to conjure images of tanks, jets, and aircraft carriers burning through national budgets. In 2026, that equation is being quietly rewritten. The early days of the Iran conflict, particularly...
March 26, 2026
3:51 am
need a new car? rent to own cars no credit check ...
March 26, 2026
3:45 am
A fresh wave of claims from Tehran has added another layer of uncertainty to the already volatile Iran conflict. Iranian state media now says the country’s military launched a missile attack on the US aircraft...
March 26, 2026
3:41 am
explore surprisingly affordable luxury ram 1500...
March 26, 2026
3:40 am
The Iran war oil prices surge has driven fuel costs sharply higher across the United States. But for a few late-night hours in California, reality flipped: one gas station accidentally sold fuel at just 59...
March 25, 2026
1:34 pm
want an suv with easy access and comfort for seniors? here’s how to get it!...
March 25, 2026
1:20 pm