Tours to N. Korea continue despite rising tensions

SEOUL, July 12 (Yonhap) -- Travel agencies specializing in tours to North Korea, one of the world's most isolated nations, are trying to lure foreigners with cheaper rates despite rising international tensions over Pyongyang's recent nuclear and missile tests.

Koryo Tour, a Beijing-based tour agency that arranges trips to North Korea,
mostly for Westerners, has begun promoting a new group tour program on its Web
site.
The three-day package is available from Aug. 27, in time for North Korea's famed
Arirang mass gymnastics performance. It costs 750 euros per person (about
US$1,000), comparatively cheaper than in the past, when such packages ran from
$2,000 to $3,000.
The Arirang festival is the North's biggest event, marking the establishment of
its communist regime.
The program will include visits to nation's most famous landmarks, including the
Arch of Triumph, Fountain Park and the Juche Tower, the Web site said.
The travel agency said it will cost 5 euros to take the elevator up the 170
meter-high Juche Tower, plus 10 to 15 euros in tips for the North Korean tour
guides.
New Korea Tour, a U.S.-based tour operator, is also promoting a similar program
during the Arirang festival for $1,199 per person.
The agency's Web site called it a "must not miss chance," as U.S. citizens are
allowed entry to North Korea only during the festival period, which run through
mid-October.
In 2007, North Korea launched an English-language Web site aimed at promoting its
tour program for foreigners who wish to see the Arirang show.
The site, www.dprk-tour.com, provides details on the performance, including
schedules and prices, as well as information on tourist attractions in Pyongyang.
The 90-minute show features tens of thousands of people performing synchronized
gymnastics and flipping colored cards to create giant mosaics at a huge stadium
in the North Korean capital. North Korea made the show an annual event in 2002.
hayney@yna.co.kr