Journalists, influencers barred from joining tour
A China-based travel agency specializing in tours to North Korea is now accepting bookings for a rare trip to Pyongyang this October, promoting access to the city’s international trade fair as the highlight of the itinerary.
North Korea’s trade fair in October will be among the first major international events open to outsiders since the country sealed its borders during the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour is priced at 3,995 euros ($4,700).
Journalists, travel content creators, and social media influencers are barred from joining the tour, according to Young Pioneer Tours, which is headquartered in China.
The travel agency offers a 7-night, 8-day guided trip to Pyongyang from October 24 to November 1. The package also includes a visit to the scenic Mount Myohyang.
“This annual event is one of North Korea’s largest and most important international expos, offering a rare window into the country’s economic outreach and domestic development across key industries,” the company said on its website.
The Pyongyang fair will have 450 exhibition booths featuring machinery, IT and consumer goods from domestic and international companies, it added.
North Korea briefly resumed foreign tourism earlier this year for the first time since the pandemic, allowing a small group of travelers into the Rason Special Economic Zone in February.
But the program was abruptly halted after a well-known European influencer posted photos and commentary about the trip online.
The influencer, a German national, described scenes of poverty and underdevelopment, including residents in Rason still using ox-drawn carts.
His viral post is believed to have contributed to Pyongyang’s decision to suspend foreign tourism once again.
khnews@heraldcorp.com
