In polished shoes on a sandy beach, Kim Jong-un points to the horizon with his index finger. Coming to supervise a hotel complex built in Wonsan-Kalma, in the east of the country, the North Korean dictator expressed his “great satisfaction”.
The leader called this infrastructure a “first big step” toward developing tourism in North Korea. The challenge is significant for this country at war, isolated and completely closed off since the Covid pandemic, to the point that even nationals present abroad have not been able to return to the country until August 2023.
Since then, only a group of Russian tourists has been able to go skiing on the Korean mountains near Wonsan last February. The reopening of borders to Westerners, announced for December 2024, is slow in coming. Before Covid, Pyongyang welcomed tens of thousands of foreign tourists each year, mainly Chinese, for around 5,000 Westerners.
“Potential”, but no “mass tourism” to be expected
The regime's desire for tourism development should not cause this fairly modest figure to explode. Because, if North Korea has tourist “potential”, “there will never be mass tourism”, warns Edouard George, a Frenchman at the head of Phoenix Voyages, a tourist agency focused on Asia and specialist destinations that are difficult to access (North Korea, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, etc.).
“There is not enough infrastructure, nor planes, nor services,” continues the tour operator with 44 trips to North Korea, which has around 200 French clients on a waiting list, ready to explore the country. when visits resume.
Another powerful obstacle is the cost of travel. “To go to North Korea, you have to leave China, there is no direct flight,” explains Luana Grandin, production assistant specializing in South-East Asia at Les Maisons du Voyage, which offered organized trips in North Korea before Covid. The call price will be around 5,000 euros, compared to 3,000 to 3,500 for a trip to China. »
(very very) guided tours and curiosity
Especially since the conditions of the stay are special. “Korean guides constantly follow the group. There is no room for interactions with locals, or they are controlled. Let’s say that we must not think outside the box,” explains the specialist.
Because, in the event of leaving the road, the consequences can be tragic. In 2017, Otto Warmbier, an American student visiting the capital Pyongyang, attempted to steal a propaganda poster. Imprisoned, he died in murky circumstances, which caused the American authorities to ban travel to their nationals.
Despite the constraints and risks, the destination continues to fascinate. “On our site, the page dedicated to North Korea gets more views than Mongolia or Taiwan,” notes Luana Grandin. But it’s probably driven by curiosity, because the majority of customers don’t follow through.”
Edouard George, for his part, cannot identify a typical profile of French tourists attracted to North Korea. “Since I started in 2005, we have organized trips for young people who came to be scared, for older clients who came to see the last Stalinist country, and also for frequent travelers who wanted to complete their list of countries visited “.
With its two weekly services from China and from Russia, the road towards the normalization and massification of tourism still seems long for Pyongyang.
The capital's metro, the monuments dedicated to the leader, the sacred Mount Paektu (the highest point of the country) and even the visit to the demilitarized zone still remain well-guarded assets. Probably for a good while.
