North Korea has prohibited Western social media influencers, travel content creators, and journalists from taking part in an announced visit by tourists to its biggest international trade fair that will be held later this year. The ban was corroborated by travel agency Young Pioneer Tours (YPT) based in China, which is hosting the adventure between October 24 and November 1.
This is even after the regime has recently relaxed to occasionally entertain visits by foreign organizations, with the April 2025 Pyongyang International Marathon marking the first time in six years that hundreds of foreign athletes had returned to the city of Pyongyang.
Co-founder of YPT Rowan Beard said that the no-influencer, no-journalist policy was a special request of the North Koreans. One of the ideas, given by Beard, is that despite the official reopening of the country to broader tourism, there could be closer regulations on who is allowed in, especially the content creators and YouTubers. The delegations of the official media are still not announced by Pyongyang nowadays.
The tour arranged by YPT costs 3,995 Euros (approximately 4,704 dollars) and leaves Beijing, allowing travellers to have a rare perspective of the mysterious country. The main attraction on the itinerary is the Pyongyang Autumn International Trade Fair, which is the biggest business exhibition in North Korea, with more than 450 booth tents displaying machinery, IT, pharmaceuticals, energy, consumer goods, and household products.
There will also be a presentation planned by the Pyongyang Chamber of Commerce, whereby participants will be provided with the inner knowledge of the North Korean economy. In addition to the trade fair, they will visit most of the notable attractions in the capital and have a special chance to visit Mount Myohyang, a culturally significant place that constitutes a museum of extravagant gifts to the former North Korean leaders.
The journey will be the first ever visit by Westerners to Mount Myohyang in more than five years, an aspect that reiterates the symbolism of the touring against the scaled-down media coverage.
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