Radio Free Asia (RFA), citing Russian media, reported that Vietnam, an ally of North Korea, plans to launch tourism products to North Korea.
According to Sputnik News‘ Vietnamese branch, the travel agency Flamingo Red Tours is preparing next year’s North Korean tourism package, including travel from Beijing to Pyongyang.
North Korea, which had not accepted tourists for over four years due to COVID-19, resumed tourism earlier this year for Russians only. It is reported that North Korea will start accepting tourists from all nationalities by the end of this year.
Previously, Koryo Tours, a travel agency specializing in North Korean tours, announced that it negotiated with North Korean officials to resume foreign tourist visits starting in December.
This suggests that Vietnam, which maintains a friendly relationship with North Korea, is also preparing for North Korean tourism. Vietnamese travel agencies like Saigon Tourist and Vietworld Travel offered North Korean travel packages even before the COVID-19 pandemic.
It appears that North Korea is focusing on tourism, a source of earning foreign currency that is not subject to UN sanctions.
Earlier in April, a delegation from North Korea’s tourism bureau participated in the Vietnam International Travel Mart for the first time to promote North Korean tourism.
At that time, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism stated that Vietnam could become a transit hub for international tourists traveling to North Korea.
In July, the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un accelerated preparations for the resumption of tourism by inspecting major tourist sites such as Samjiyon near Mount Baekdu and the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist area in Gangwon Province.