Beijing, China – A highly anticipated tour group organized by Chinese travel agency Zhixing Heyi to North Korea’s Rason Special Economic Zone failed to depart as scheduled on February 24th, according to industry sources cited by South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. The cancellation casts a shadow over the prospects of a full resumption of tourism between China and North Korea, a sector that has been largely dormant for the past five years.
Zhixing Heyi had been actively promoting the four-day Rason tour, priced at 3,599 RMB and 4,599 RMB, as recently as February 18th. The agency claimed to have received special approval from the North Korean side to organize the first Chinese civilian tour group to North Korea in five years, promising an in-depth tourism exploration of the Rason region.
Travelers who had signed up for the tour were instructed to gather at the Quanhe Port in Hunchun, Jilin Province, at 9:40 AM on the 24th, ready to cross the border into North Korea. However, sources indicate that the tour group was ultimately unable to leave China. Zhixing Heyi has remained silent on the reasons for the cancellation and has not responded to inquiries regarding the tour’s status. While the advertisement for the Rason tour remains on the agency’s website, it has been removed from their WeChat official account.
The sudden cancellation raises questions about the current state of tourism relations between China and North Korea. Rason, located in the northeastern tip of North Korea bordering China and Russia, is a special economic zone designed to attract foreign investment and tourism. A successful tour would have signaled a positive step towards revitalizing this sector.
Adding to the uncertainty, other Chinese travel agencies that previously offered similar tours have informed reporters that the China National Tourism Administration has reportedly prohibited related tourism activities and promotional campaigns. This suggests a potential shift in policy or regulatory hurdles that are hindering the resumption of tourism to North Korea.
The failure of the Zhixing Heyi tour to launch leaves the future of Chinese tourism to North Korea uncertain. While the demand for such tours likely exists, the regulatory landscape and political considerations appear to be complex and subject to change. Further developments will need to be monitored closely to determine the trajectory of this potentially significant sector in Sino-North Korean relations.
References:
- Yonhap News Agency. (2024, February 24). 中国旅行社赴朝旅游考察团未能如期成行 [China Tour Group to North Korea Fails to Launch as Scheduled]. Retrieved from [Insert original URL of the Yonhap News Article Here]
Views: 0