The Kremlin Is Calling Russians to Vacation in North Korea — But Tourists Aren't Rushing In

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, the usual holiday destinations for Russians have shrunk dramatically: European beaches are largely off-limits due to sanctions and restrictions, and Crimea is regularly hit by strikes. In their place, Russian authorities and Pyongyang are trying to turn North Korea — one of the most closed-off and repressive countries in the world — into a tourist mecca.

Kremlin-controlled media promote North Korea as a resort destination complete with beach getaways, ski lodges and peaceful relaxation, while barely mentioning the country's political reality. "We've already been to many places — three months ago we went to Bali. But here, this is real peace and rest," a tourist named Darya told the Russian outlet RBC, describing her impressions of a North Korean beach holiday. Other travelers have called the country an "unexpected paradise" and a "remarkable place."

Modest Tourist Interest

The two countries' authorities began actively promoting North Korea as a tourist destination after it reopened to Russian visitors in 2024. Travelers are being lured in with special discounts — including ones aimed at soldiers who fought in Ukraine.

Yet there's been no mass influx of holidaymakers so far. According to Sergei Krivonosov, deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma's tourism committee, around 5,000 Russians visited North Korea in 2025, with numbers projected to grow to roughly 6,000 this coming year. Artur Muradyan, vice-president of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, says North Korea remains a niche, "specialist" destination on the Russian travel market rather than a mainstream one.

Weak demand is also affecting air travel. Direct flights between Moscow and Pyongyang are suffering from a shortage of passengers, with most flying nearly empty despite state subsidies. Russian airline Nordwind, which received approval to fly to Pyongyang in 2025, failed to keep to its planned schedule: instead of ten flights between July and November, only five actually took place, according to the Russian newspaper Kommersant.

Politics Behind the Pretty Pictures

These efforts to build up tourism in a country long almost entirely closed to foreigners are not happening in a political vacuum. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, Moscow and Pyongyang have been rapidly drawing closer: North Korea supplies weapons and troops to the Russian army, while Moscow in turn props up the North Korean regime's economy and cooperates with it in other areas.

"We are ready to help Russia — it is a brotherly duty. Cooperation has intensified since June of last year, and we should work actively to strengthen it further across various fields," North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said shortly before appearing alongside Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Pyongyang in June 2024 — his first trip to North Korea since 2000. During that visit, he signed a mutual defense treaty with Kim Jong Un that, among other things, calls for expanded cooperation in tourism.

Since then, North Korea has pushed its tourism ambitions even further. In June 2025, Kim Jong Un held a lavish opening ceremony for the Wonsan-Kalma coastal resort, meant to serve as a showcase for the regime and a magnet for foreign visitors. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attended the opening and declared: "I am confident that Russian tourists will increasingly want to come here."

Yet the resort itself sits on a stretch of coastline that Pyongyang also uses for military testing — ballistic missiles are regularly launched from areas around Wonsan into the Sea of Japan. Nevertheless, tour operators are already offering a range of trips to North Korea, including a so-called "patriotic" tour timed to Army Day in early 2027. "Don't miss the chance to experience North Korean culture and traditions. Join us for an unforgettable adventure!" reads the advertisement for one such tour.

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Source: seznamzpravy.cz