North Korea is planning to open a new large tourist center next year – intended for international visitors. Who will visit it is, however, still unclear, since foreign tourists are not allowed into the closed country.
In the Wonsan-Kalma area in North Korea, luxury hotels and several recreational facilities have been built over several years to attract international tourists.
A wonderful coastal area that will be known to the world as the best tourist destination (in North Korea) will be successfully built, said North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un during a visit to the site on Tuesday, according to the state news agency KCNA.
The project has been met with several setbacks, including material shortages as a result of tougher UN sanctions.
North Korea has slowly eased its strict visa restrictions after the pandemic as an attempt to kick-start the country's economy. But the country has still not opened its borders to foreign tourists – except for a small number of Russian visitors.
Before the pandemic, Chinese tourists accounted for around 90 percent of all international tourists visiting North Korea.