No one thought that a summit between the North and South Koreas were possible. Now, another nearly impossible event is about to happen.
North and South Korea made history when for the first time since the armistice between the countries was signed, a summit occurred and, among the deals agreed upon between the two sides, both countries agreed on a tourism deal. Visitors are particularly interested in some key areas, like a visit to the DMZ and South Korea's famous cruise ship trips.
VOA News reports that Lotte Tour's Harry Baek revealed that the tours have been adjusted to include North Korean tourist spots; in particular, the current South Korean offering of the tourist agency would include a visit to Wonsan, a coastal city in North Korea. It could very well create a network of stops that could include Hokkaido and Aomori from Japan and Vladivostok in Russia to the already available stops of the cruise.
Asian Correspondent reveals another result of the Inter-Korean summit. Because of how the North and the South met during the summit, interest in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is at an all-time high. A 'buffer zone' created by the Korean Armistice Agreement that the North and the South agreed to, the border has, in all the years, turned into a tourist spot for visitors to the country.
The summit, which was done in the area, was viewed as instrumental to the people's interest in the area. It was largely viewed as a positive by all parties concerned. Whereas in the past, the people viewed it as a negative, slowly the DMZ is becoming safer and a symbol of unity-that is, depending on where the talks between the North and the South will go.
Depending on these talks, as well, visitors to both North and South Korea will double. Destinations like Wonsan and Pyongyang is expected to become more available to visitors. As these were not easily accessible in the past, scores of visitors will be curious to see what there is to see in the region.
That remains to be seen, however. People involved in the summit think that there is a lot to lose as there is a lot to gain. If the North and the South fail to come to terms, it would mean devastating consequences for the growing tourism value the area has.
