Russian tourists are banned in most of Europe, but this country is welcoming them with open arms

The first group of tourists allowed into North Korea since the start of the pandemic will shortly arrive into the isolated country.

Though Russians are banned from entering most European countries for tourism purposes, due to the invasion of Ukraine, North Korea has made an exception.

The Russian tourists will visit the capital Pyongyang and then go skiing, says Inna Mukhina, the general director of the Vostok Intur agency which is running the tour.

In October, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he would recommend North Korea as a holiday destination for Russian tourists, many of whom now struggle to travel to Europe and the United States because of sanctions applied to Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.

There are “lots” of people who wanted to come on the tour to North Korea, says Mukhina, adding that the group is made up of people from across Russia. 

She also said that children from a Russian school that aims to create Olympic champions are part of the group.

The Russians' reasons for visiting North Korea vary, Mukhina says, suggesting some people are interested in the opportunity to visit a closed country, while others are more interested in skiing and snowboarding.

“We love skiing,” Galina Polevshchikova told the AP at Vladivostok airport shortly before getting on the flight to Pyongyang. “I really want to go there because it's probably the most closed place where you have the opportunity to do this,” she said.

The group, is not a traditional tourist group, but “a test tour delegation” that could pave the way for other groups of Russian tourists.

According to a report from Tass, Russia's state news agency, the group will visit monuments in Pyongyang such as the Tower of Juche Idea, named after the North’s guiding