North Korea has chosen to exclude Western influencers from joining an upcoming tourist delegation going to the nation’s biggest international trade fair in October, a China-based tour agency said in an interview with AFP on Monday.
Travel company Young Pioneer Tours (YPT) announced Saturday that it will take a group of international travelers into North Korea on Oct. 24-1 Nov. In its statement on its website, though, the firm made clear that the tour would not include journalists, travel influencers or content creators.
YPT co-founder Rowan Beard explained to AFP that this ban was ‘a specific request from the North Korean side’. He further added, “We expect that once officially reopened, there could be tighter scrutiny or restrictions on influencers and YouTubers participating in tours.” Beard further said that the agency also had ‘no visibility’ on when Pyongyang would start accepting official media delegations again.
Several online personalities have shared glossy videos from within North Korea in recent months, showcasing unusual glimpses into the heavily restricted nation.
Details of the Planned Trip
At 3,995 euros ($4,704), the YPT tour will leave Beijing and visit Pyongyang Autumn International Trade Fair, North Korea’s top business exhibition. Attendees will have the ‘unique opportunity’ to visit over 450 stalls featuring everything from machinery and IT to power, medicine, consumer products and home goods, YPT says.
The itinerary also guarantees an address by the Pyongyang Chamber of Commerce, which will provide travelers with a deep insight into the economy of North Korea. Apart from the trade fair, the visitors will visit prominent landmarks in Pyongyang and witness the first Western tour in more than five years to Mount Myohyang, a legendary peak that contains a museum full of lavish gifts presented to previous North Korean leaders.
North Korea’s Selective Reopening
Diplomatically isolated North Korea recently permitted small numbers of foreign visitors, including hundreds of foreign runners who went there in April for the first Pyongyang International Marathon since six years ago.
For a long time, China has been North Korea’s principal diplomatic, political, and economic ally. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic that resulted in shut borders, Chinese citizens made up the majority of foreign travelers as tourists and businesspersons to North Korea.
Yet tourist figures have not managed to bounce back even following the post-pandemic opening of North Korea. The reason, some analysts argue, is Beijing’s irritation at Pyongyang’s vocalBacking of Russia’s intervention in Ukraine, which has put strains on relationships.
