North Korea to Open Largest Tourist Site Amid Ongoing Travel Restrictions
North Korea is set to unveil its largest beach resort next week, accommodating 20,000 guests, but foreign visitors remain barred due to ongoing restrictions.
Overview
- North Korea will open its largest tourist site on the east coast next week, with a capacity for nearly 20,000 guests.
- The beach resort features hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, and a water park, aiming to boost local tourism.
- Despite the opening, foreign tourists are still not allowed due to ongoing Covid-19 travel restrictions.
- The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Russian ambassador, indicating a strengthening partnership between North Korea and Russia.
- Kim Jong Un has promoted the resort as a significant achievement for the country, emphasizing its importance to domestic tourism.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame North Korea's tourism developments with a mix of cautious optimism and skepticism. They highlight the regime's efforts to boost tourism while emphasizing ongoing restrictions on foreign visitors. The tone suggests a critical view of the regime's motivations, reflecting concerns about its isolation and geopolitical context.
North Korea is set to open its largest tourist site on the east coast next week.
The Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone can accommodate nearly 20,000 guests with its hotels and other accommodations.
Kim Jong Un toured and cut the inaugural tape at a lavish ceremony in North Korea.
North Korea has not completely lifted the ban on foreign tourists that was implemented in early 2020.
The completion ceremony of the resort drew the Russian ambassador to North Korea, highlighting the strengthening partnership between the two countries amidst Western sanctions.
Articles (4)
Center (3)
"…KCNA described the Wonsan development as a "great, auspicious event of the whole country" and called it a "prelude to the new era" in tourism."
BBC News·18d·"…North Korea next week will open a signature tourist site on its east coast that it called a prelude to a new era in its tourism industry, though there is no word on when the country will fully reopen its borders to foreign visitors."
ABC News·19d·"…North Korea next week will open a signature coastal tourist site that it says will usher in a new era in its tourism industry, though there is no word on when the country will fully reopen to foreign visitors."
Associated Press·19d·FAQ
North Korea has been slow to resume international tourism due to ongoing pandemic restrictions, tensions with South Korea and the U.S., and concerns about Western tourists affecting its image[1].
American citizens are currently prohibited from traveling to North Korea as tourists due to U.S. State Department restrictions.
As of now, Rason is the only region in North Korea open to tourists, while Pyongyang remains closed[3].
History
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