Next week, North Korea will open its first new tourist attraction on the country’s scenic east coast. Officials announced that this signals the start of a new era for the country’s tourism sector. The site is located within the scenic Wonsan-Kalma coastal economic zone. It seeks to attract more local travelers and stimulate the economy, particularly under these current COVID-19 travel bans.
During a lavish ceremony, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toured the Wonsan-Kalma zone and cut the inaugural tape, underscoring the project’s significance. This dynamic coastal community includes hotels and other lodgings that can accommodate almost 20,000 visitors. Take advantage of swimming, basketball and other sports facilities, as well as varied food choices at in-house restaurants and cafeteria.
As of next Tuesday, North Korea will begin accepting domestic tourists into the new Wonsan-Kalma tourism zone. And international travel remains severely restricted. The country hasn’t restored any of the original travel restrictions they implemented when the pandemic first started. In February 2024, maybe a couple hundred international tourists will be walking the streets of Pyongyang for the first time in five years. At the same time, Russian tourists were allowed into the country in the same month. Chinese group tours – which made up more than 90% of Chinese tourists pre-pandemic – are still paused.
Kim Jong Un has emphasized the importance of developing North Korea into a tourism hub as part of broader efforts to revive the struggling economy. Of all his proposed tourism projects, the Wonsan-Kalma zone is easily his most touted and sumptuous program. Additionally, North Korean officials recently announced plans to develop additional mega tourism complexes across the country. Look forward to some ambitious new destinations currently in development!
“The construction of the Wonsan-Kalma zone will be recorded as one of the greatest successes this year.” – Kim Jong Un, [KCNA]
