North Korea allows first tourist visit after four years in major tourism breakthrough

MOSCOW – The government of Russia has revealed that a group from the country is expected to make a visit to the highly secured North Korea almost four years after the pandemic brought travel to a complete pause.

North Korea had implemented strict social distancing protocols and had virtually cut off connection with the outside world; to this day, the country has not opened up to foreigners.

However, breaking the hiatus, a Vladivostok-based agency is promoting a four-day tour, organized after the governor of Russia’s Primorsky Krai visited Pyongyang in December.

As per the itinerary, the four-day tour is scheduled to commence on February 9, featuring stops in Pyongyang and a ski resort.

The tour operators in the region are viewing the development as a positive one as it would spur tourism and would also lead to broader goals of promoting tourism worldwide; whether North Korea opens to tourists on a large scale is a question still unanswered.

Though North Korea faces sanctions from global players, tourism is largely unaffected; the country experienced a notable influx of Chinese tourists in the year preceding the onset of the pandemic.

An estimate from Seoul-based NK News suggests that these visitors could have contributed as much as $175 million in additional revenue to the financially strained country in 2019.

North Korea, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, is an East Asian nation. With an estimated 25 million people, its key places include Pyongyang, the capital, and the demilitarized zone (DMZ) on the border with South Korea, known for its historical significance.

On the other hand, Russia is the largest country, and spans Europe and Asia. With over 145 million people, key places include Moscow, the capital with iconic Red Square, and St. Petersburg, famed for the Hermitage Museum and historical architecture.