After nearly half a decade, North Korea plans to partially reopen to tourists for the first time since January 2020, when it shut its borders due to COVID-19.
According to Koryo Tours, based in Beijing, tours to North Korea will officially resume in December 2024, VisaGuide.World reports.
North Korea was the first country to close its borders at the pandemic’s onset and remains the only nation that has not yet fully reopened to tourism. While international passenger flights resumed in August 2023, they have not been available to tourists.
Exact dates to be confirmed. So far just Samjiyon has been officially confirmed but we think that Pyongyang and other places will open too!!! We have received confirmation from our local partner that tourism to Samjiyon and potentially the rest of the country will officially resume in December 2024.
The North Korean city of Samjiyon has recently undergone significant redevelopment. Kim Jong Un announced plans in July to rebuild its airport, transform a military ski base into a resort, and develop new railways and hotels for international tourists. Kim stressed that these initiatives to “revive international tourism” will focus on visitors from “friendly” countries.
However, citizens of other “friendly” nations will be allowed in this December, starting with the northern city of Samjiyon.
Earlier this year, Kim Jong Un visited a major tourism development site on the country’s east coast, discussing plans to open the Wonsan-Kalma area by next year. This project is estimated to be one of Kim’s most anticipated tourism ventures.
North Korea Resumed Flights to Russia & Beijing
The country has also slowly eased strict pandemic-era restrictions and entry barriers to stimulate its economy. As a result, in August last year, North Korea saw its first commercial flights departing from Pyongyang in over three years, one way to Beijing and another to Vladivostok, Russia.
Even though it has not opened its doors, North Korea allowed a limited number of Russians to visit the country earlier this year due to strengthened ties between the two nations.
Before the pandemic, North Korea saw a notable influx of Chinese tourists, generating an estimated $175 million in 2019. While the arrival of Russian tourists is a positive sign, the long-term effects on North Korea’s tourism industry remain unclear.
In addition, before COVID-19, the country welcomed about 120,000 Chinese visitors a year, along with about 5,000 from Western countries.