North Korea has once again closed its doors to tourists, just weeks after allowing Western visitors into its borders for the first time in five years, raising questions about the stability of its tourism sector.
North Korea Suspends Tourism After Brief Reopening
North Korea Suspends Tourism After Brief Reopening
The nation halts foreign visits just weeks following the first Western tourist arrivals since 2018.
In early 2020, North Korea implemented strict border controls amid the Covid-19 pandemic and only began relaxing those restrictions mid-2023. In a notable development, the country opened up to Russian tourists in early 2024. However, it was only in February 2024 that Western tourists were permitted into Rason, a city designated as a special economic zone. Recently, several tour companies have announced that trips to North Korea have been suspended indefinitely. "We just received confirmation from our partners in Korea that Rason is closed to all visitors," wrote KTG Tours, a company based in China that specializes in North Korean excursions, on its Facebook page.
Other agencies like Young Pioneer Tours and Koryo Tours echoed similar announcements, advising customers to hold off on booking flights for trips planned in April and May. Despite the recent influx of Western visitors beginning on February 20, 2024, conditions were stricter than those experienced before the pandemic, with limited chances to explore outside guided tours and no access to phone signals or the internet. Tour leaders suggested that Rason was chosen as a destination due to its manageable size and ease of control. Additionally, Koryo Tours had recently begun accepting applications for the annual Pyongyang Marathon set for April 6, a first since 2019, but it remains uncertain if these will proceed as planned.
Prior to the pandemic, 350,000 foreign tourists visited North Korea in 2019, nearly 90% of whom were from China. The recent developments leave potential travelers and tour operators in limbo as they await new information from Pyongyang.
Other agencies like Young Pioneer Tours and Koryo Tours echoed similar announcements, advising customers to hold off on booking flights for trips planned in April and May. Despite the recent influx of Western visitors beginning on February 20, 2024, conditions were stricter than those experienced before the pandemic, with limited chances to explore outside guided tours and no access to phone signals or the internet. Tour leaders suggested that Rason was chosen as a destination due to its manageable size and ease of control. Additionally, Koryo Tours had recently begun accepting applications for the annual Pyongyang Marathon set for April 6, a first since 2019, but it remains uncertain if these will proceed as planned.
Prior to the pandemic, 350,000 foreign tourists visited North Korea in 2019, nearly 90% of whom were from China. The recent developments leave potential travelers and tour operators in limbo as they await new information from Pyongyang.
