North Korea will partially resume international tourism this year after nearly half a decade, according to tour operators.
Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based agency specializing in travel to North Korea, announced on Thursday that tourism to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will resume in December this year.
Koryo Tours stated that tours will initially be limited to the North Korean city of Samjiyon, though the reopening might extend to other locations in the future.
The agency said in a press release, “After waiting more than 4 years to announce this, Koryo Tours is thrilled to see tourism in North Korea restart.”
Samjiyon was chosen because it has recently been developed as a tourist destination. It was last visited in 2018 while filming the British documentary series “Michael Palin in North Korea.”
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Koryo Tours mentioned that its North Korean partners informed the agency that the tour itinerary and dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
The company said, “Once the dates and tour routes are finalized, they will be available for booking on our website.”
The isolated nation closed its borders at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost entirely barring foreigners from entering the country for work, travel, or non-essential diplomatic relations. The country began partially reopening its borders only last year.
Since the pandemic, North Korea has struggled to fully open up, as the regime was unable to marshal the necessary resources and infrastructure to effectively combat the outbreak within its borders.