Chinese travel agencies are recruiting tourists with so-called "business inspection" packages that tour industrial and commercial facilities in North Korea's Rason Special Economic Zone. The packages combine factory visits and investment consultations with sightseeing, and promotion has picked up as expectations grow for a resumption of tourism to North Korea.
Travel agencies in Chinese border regions, including Dandong in Liaoning Province and Yanji in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture of Jilin Province, are actively promoting programs that visit factories and commercial facilities in the Rason area both online and offline, Yonhap News Agency reported on the 16th.
An official at a Chinese travel agency said inquiries about joining the trips have surged as interest in China-North Korea exchanges and a resumption of tourism has risen following the opening of the New Yalu River Bridge.
The New Yalu River Bridge is a four-lane structure stretching 3,026 meters. Its opening had been delayed as construction of facilities on the North Korean side fell behind and relations between the two countries cooled, but it officially opened on the 15th, 12 years after completion.
Factory Visits Plus Investment Consultations for 1.2 Million Won
One travel agency in Yanji recommended a five-day business inspection package to a customer who expressed interest in traveling to North Korea. The fee is 5,999 yuan, or about 1.2 million won.
A four-day package is also on sale, focused on examining Rason's agricultural and industrial complexes and technology levels and holding in-depth consultations and discussions with North Korean government officials on investment projects. The price is 3,000 yuan, or about 600,000 won.
Under the five-day itinerary, participants gather in Hunchun, China, on the first day and enter Rason in North Korea the next day via the Quanhe border crossing. On the ground, they attend a roundtable with government officials and tour a brewery, a paper mill and a footwear wholesale market. Free sightseeing follows.
The packages are notable for emphasizing industrial facility visits and investment consultations rather than simple tourism. The agencies are presenting them as business inspection products and stressing that participants can examine North Korea's industrial conditions and investment opportunities.
"Even Just Eating Seafood Is Worth the Trip" — but Entry Rules Are Strict
The agencies are also using cheap local seafood in their promotions. An official at one agency that markets the packages online said, "Seafood in Rason is especially cheap. Live king crab runs about 15 yuan (roughly 3,000 won) per 600 grams (geun)," adding, "Even if there's nothing to do, it's worth the trip just to eat the seafood."
Participants, however, must prepare a passport, a health certificate and a business license, among other documents. The agency said it can handle the issuance process for some documents, and that the fee includes the cost of obtaining an invitation from the North Korean side.
There are also restrictions on who can receive an invitation. Applicants must be holders of mainland Chinese passports aged between 18 and 65, and must not have visited any African country within the past six months.
A travel agency official said October departures are already sold out. The official added that departures in early November could be arranged depending on how many participants sign up.