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Mar 28, 2019 / 17:51

North Korea expects to welcome 3,000 Vietnamese visitors in 2019

North Korea, together with Peru, takes part for the first time ever in the 2019 Vietnam International Travel Mart, held in Hanoi from March 27 to 30.

North Korea is expected to welcome 3,000 Vietnamese tourists in 2019, said General Director of Korea International Travel Company (KITC) Ham Jin at a press conference to introduce North Korea’s tourism on March 28.
 
Vietnam Society of Travel Agents and Korea International Travel Company signed important agreement on cooperation between the two sides. Photo: Ha Phuong
Vietnam Society of Travel Agents and Korea International Travel Company sign an agreement on cooperation between the two sides. Photo: Ha Phuong
The event was part of the 2019 Vietnam International Travel Mart, which takes place in Hanoi from March 27 to 30. In the first ten months of 2018, North Korea welcomed about 300 Vietnamese holidaymakers.
Ham Jin said that the press conference to introduce North Korea's tourism is staged amid the favorable atmosphere after the success of the second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi.
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un issued a programmatic guideline on building new tourist resorts in various locations including Wonsan and Mt. Chilbo at the plenary meeting of the central committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea in March 2013 for the rapid expansion in tourism industry, Ham Jin added.
In recent years, North Korea has focused on tourism development, especially the constructions in Mt. Paekdu, Wonsan-Kalma coastal resort and the hot spa resort were decided as projects of state-level importance for big investment.
Every year, KTTC records a sustainable increase of arrivals and partners with hundreds of foreign travel agencies over the world including those from China, Southeast Asia and Europe.
Ham Jin said that most of the visitors to North Korea come from Japan, China and Europe. They often visit Pyongyang, Kaesong, DMZ, northern mountainous region with Paektu and Kumgang mountains. North Korea has been successful in operating charter flights from Shanghai, Dalian, Dandon, Guangzhou to Pyongyang by Air Koryo and this experience will help them  begin the Pyongyang – Hanoi charter flight, which is their main objective for the next stage.
According to the general director KITC, the number of Vietnamese visitors to North Korea is not the largest but they all give positive feedback. “I believe Vietnam will be the promising market for North Korea”, Ham Jin added.
“I think the Pyongyang – Hanoi direct flight would play a key role in bettering traffic for the clients and further expanding the regional market, therefore we hope your sincere cooperation for its early run”, said Ham Jin.
On this occasion, Vietnam Society of Travel Agents and Korea International Travel Company signed an important agreement on cooperation between the two sides.