This photo taken on February 26, 2024 shows people posing for a picture in front of the customs post and railway border bridge leading to Namyang in North Korea in the city of Tumen in the province of Jilin, northeast China. This remote stretch of frontier was virtually inaccessible to reporters while Beijing and Pyongyang upheld some of the world's strictest pandemic-era travel curbs. PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images
North Korea has announced plans to resume international tourism by December 2024, ending a nearly four-year closure that began at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The closure had been a precautionary measure to curb the spread of the virus, although some international flights resumed last year and a small group of Russian tourists visited earlier this year, according to VCPost.
Tour operators Koryo Tours and KTG told CNBC that the country's borders will be partially reopened to foreign visitors, with travel initially permitted to the city of Samjiyon and potentially other locations within North Korea.
The reopening of Samjiyon, a mountainous city near the Chinese border known for its newly developed tourism infrastructure, is anticipated to attract visitors once again.
Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based travel operator, expressed enthusiasm about the reopening, citing the extensive preparations North Korea has made to enhance its tourism offerings.
Samjiyon, which North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has praised as a "model of a highly-civilized mountain city," now features new hotels, attractions, and a ski resort.
At the same time, VCPost also previously reported that the country is developing another major tourism site on its eastern coast. These efforts are expected to aid in North Korea's economic recovery following the pandemic.
While the reopening is aimed at drawing international tourists, particularly from China, which previously constituted a significant portion of visitors, U.S. travelers remain restricted.
The U.S. government continues to advise against travel to North Korea, and American passports are not valid for entry into the country, unless specifically validated by the Department of State.
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