North Korea is looking to boost its tourism numbers by improving access to the country and improving facilities for foreign visitors, according to the country’s national news agency.
“The country has a bright future to develop tourism,” said Jo Song Gyu, director of North Korea’s International Travel Company, one of several state-owned bureaus in North Korea that control and monitor tourism in the reclusive nation.
Speaking to state news agency, KCNA, Song Gyu revealed that his ambitious plans to increase tourism numbers would see ‘economic development zones’ built in each of the nation’s nine provinces. These zones would include fitness centres, service complexes and duty-free shops for tourists, where foreigners would also be allowed to launch independent businesses.
Song Gyu also said that hotels would also be renovated to meet “the world’s level.” Plans were initially revealed by luxury German hotelier Kempinski to open at least 100 rooms by the end of 2013, but amid growing tensions between North and South Korea, the plans were quickly scrapped.
Most recently plans were revealed by Supreme Leader, Kim Jong Un, to construct a “world class” ski resort, but those plans too fell apart when attempts to purchase ski equipment failed under UN sanctions on luxury goods.
The manner in which visitors to the country are watched is one of the reasons North Korea is not a frequented destination. Most visitors are accompanied by a government minder, who will restrict interactions with local people and dictate where they can travel. In 2012, around 4,000 western tourists visited the country, while just 20,000 visited from China.
