Vietnam, a friendly country of North Korea, is set to offer tourism packages to the reclusive nation, according to a report by Radio Free Asia (RFA), which cited Russian media on September 10.
Russian news outlet Sputnik’s Vietnamese bureau reported that Vietnamese travel agency Flamingo Redtours is preparing a North Korea tour package for next year, with the route passing through Beijing before arriving in Pyongyang.
After a four-year hiatus due to COVID-19, North Korea resumed tourism exclusively for Russian visitors earlier this year. However, it is expected to reopen its borders to tourists of “all nationalities” by the end of this year.
Previously, North Korea-focused travel agency Koryo Tours announced that it had reached an agreement with North Korean authorities to resume foreign tourism by December of this year.
Given the friendly relations between the two countries, it appears that Vietnam is preparing to reintroduce North Korea tourism packages. Vietnamese travel agencies such as Vietworld Travel had also offered similar tours prior to the pandemic.
Tourism, one of the few foreign currency-earning activities not subject to UN sanctions, is a key focus for North Korea. According to Sputnik, North Korea’s Tourism Administration participated in the 2024 Vietnam International Tourism Fair in April, promoting travel to the isolated country.
During the event, Vietnam’s tourism board suggested that Vietnam could serve as a key transit hub for international tourists traveling to North Korea.
In 2019, Vietnamese agencies like Vietworld Travel offered North Korea tour packages priced at around 34 million Vietnamese dong (approximately $1,400).
Flamingo Red Tours has not responded to RFA’s inquiry regarding specific details and financial amounts.
Interest in North Korea surged in Vietnam after the second U.S.-North Korea summit held in Hanoi in early 2019, leading to a rapid increase in North Korea tourism, reports indicate.
North Korea has recently resumed face-to-face diplomacy, sending ambassadors to communist countries like Vietnam.
In July, North Korea appointed Ri Seung-kuk as its new ambassador to Vietnam, filling the position left vacant for over five years since the departure of former Ambassador Ri Myong-gil in April 2019.
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
