N. Korea set to take part in tourism exhibition in Moscow to lure Russian tourists

Tourists are seen at a local airport before departure to Pyongyang, Artyom, Russia, Feb. 9. TASS-Yonhap

North Korea appears to be preparing to take part in a tourism exhibition set to be held in Moscow this month as the reclusive country moves to attract Russian tourists amid deepening cooperation between the two countries.

The Moscow office of DPRKorea Tourism is set to run a booth at the 30th International Travel & Hospitality Show scheduled to be held in the Russian capital from March 19-21, the website of the event showed Thursday. DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

If the North Korean entity takes part in the event as planned, it would mark the country's first attendance in the major tourism show that has been held for the past 30 years.

North Korea's participation comes as Pyongyang and Moscow have been strengthening military and economic cooperation after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in a rare summit last year.

In February, 97 Russian tourists visited Pyongyang and the Masikryong Ski Resort in the North's eastern region in what marked the first entry of foreign tourists to the country since the North reopened its border in August last year after more than three years of pandemic-related closure.

The North has yet to welcome tourists from China, the country's longtime economic benefactor and ally, since the partial reopening of its border.

Chinese tourists reportedly accounted for a bulk of foreign tourists visiting North Korea before the pandemic, with 300,000 estimated to have visited the country in 2019. (Yonhap)