Just a few weeks after North Korea opened its doors to international tourists, bringing with them hopes of a revival of the tourism industry, a surprise announcement was made that shocked the international travel industry. The North Korean government suddenly announced that it would stop accepting international tours to the Rason Special Economic Zone, a puzzling move reported by Yonhap news agency.
The decision is not just a cancellation of tours, but also puts a big question mark on the future of important tourism events in North Korea. Typically, the annual marathon, scheduled to be held on April 6 to celebrate the birthday (April 15) of the late leader Kim Il-sung, is now at risk of being canceled. This event, which used to be one of the highlights attracting international tourists to North Korea, is now obscured, disappointing those who had planned to participate.
Travel companies have announced they will stop taking foreign tourists to the Rason special economic zone, weeks after North Korea opened it for the first time since Covid-19.
It is worth noting that the reason given by the "world's most secretive country" to its travel partners is extremely vague and unconvincing, causing increasing confusion among the travel industry. "We have absolutely no idea what the reason is for the suspension of receiving tourists, and we have not been informed of the suspension period," Rayco Vega, a travel coordinator for KTG Company, told AFP. This lack of transparency not only makes it difficult for travel companies to rearrange schedules and resolve issues related to tourists, but also raises doubts about the stability and predictability of North Korea's tourism industry.
On the same day, Young Pioneer Tours (YPT), another China-based travel agency, also announced the suspension of tours to Rason. "We were informed by our partners in North Korea that tours to Rason have been suspended. We are currently in the process of clarifying the incident to see how this will affect international tours to North Korea," said a representative of YPT. The travel agency also advised tourists planning to visit North Korea in April and May not to book flights until further notice.
Many travel companies described this as an "unprecedented" situation, and said they would update as soon as new information became available.
According to Yonhap news agency, the sudden suspension of North Korea's international tourism routes is believed to have stemmed from public criticism by some foreign tourists after visiting the Rason Special Economic Zone. These frank comments have attracted great attention, especially in the context of North Korea's efforts to build a positive image in the international community.
In an interview with the US Business Insider, Luca Pferdmenges, a German travel influencer, did not hesitate to share his experiences after visiting Rason in February. The 23-year-old said that what surprised him most was the "obvious poverty" that the North Korean government did not hide. He described the lives of people in rural areas of North Korea as "obviously poor", with images of farmers riding oxen and horse-drawn carts, and shabby houses that tourists were not allowed to photograph.
Many news sites speculate about why North Korea bans tourists from visiting.
It is worth noting that North Korean tour guides do not deny this fact. They just do not want tourists to take pictures and spread those images as if they are the only face of North Korea. This shows the sensitivity of the North Korean government to images that could damage the country's image.
Meanwhile, the Korea Times, one of South Korea's oldest English-language dailies, has suggested that North Korea's move to stop welcoming international tourists could be an attempt to "prevent the harsh reality" of the isolated country from being exposed to the world. North Korea tightly controls information and images about the country, and allowing foreign tourists to freely share their experiences could have unintended consequences.
Young Pioneer Tours, another travel company specializing in North Korea tours, also recommends that travelers planning to go to North Korea in April and May should not rush to book flights until more information is available.
Western tourists began arriving in Rason in late February on group tours as North Korea reopened its tourism sector to foreigners. Only Russian tourists will be allowed to enter the country from September 2023. The recent opening of the Rason Special Economic Zone to international visitors has sparked speculation that the country could welcome foreign visitors to other areas.
Rason City was established as North Korea's first special economic zone in 1991. It serves as a testing ground for new economic policies and is considered one of the least known and most inaccessible areas in North Korea.
Before the abrupt halt, the four-night tour to Rason, a city in the northeast near the Chinese and Russian borders, cost about $720. Along with that, visitors will spend two nights in the Chinese city of Yanji. The first tour took place from February 12 to February 18.
According to media reports, Rason has operated differently from the rest of North Korea since 1991. It is also the first place to have a mobile phone network and use a card payment system.
