After years of being an isolated country, North Korea is now preparing to permit tourists to enter.
According to a Reuters report, international visitors shall be allowed to explore the northeastern city of Samjiyon starting in December.
Tour operators say the move is simply step one toward a more comprehensive easing of restrictions on tourists in North Korea.
“We have received confirmation from our local partner that tourism to Samjiyon, and probably the rest of the country, will officially resume in December 2024,” Beijing-based Koryo Tours recently announced on its website.
Another travel agency, KTG Tours, has also announced that tourists will give you the option to go to Samjiyon next winter.
This development follows the resumption of international flights to and from North Korea last 12 months. A small group of Russian tourists then visited the country in February. And later, in June, Russian President Vladimir Putin also paid a visit to the country.
Nevertheless, North Korea has not been open to international mass tourism since 2020.
“After waiting for this announcement for over four years, Koryo Tours is very pleased to see North Korean tourism reopen,” the travel company said, in accordance with Reuters.
Koryo Tours expects its North Korean partner to verify itineraries and dates over the subsequent few weeks.
What tourists can expect when visiting, Reuters describes Samjiyon as a “socialist utopia” and “model of a highly civilized mountain city” with recent housing, hotels, a ski resort, and industrial, cultural and medical facilities.
CNN also described Samjiyon as a city that straddles the Chinese border and is positioned in close proximity to the best peak on the Korean peninsula, the energetic volcano Paektu. The volcanic area is taken into account the cradle of the Korean people, in accordance with CNN.
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