Russian tourists show no interest in Vladivostok-North Korea ferry line so far
VLADIVOSTOK. May 24 (Interfax) - No Russians have so far bought any tours to North Korea aboard the ferry boat that began shuttle trips between Vladivostok and the North Korean port of Rajin last week.
"This is a new destination, and no Russian tourists have yet taken interest in it. Possibly, these tours might be in demand at some point," a representative of the Novye Puteshestviya tour operator based in the Primorye territory told Interfax.
A number of Chinese tour operators displayed interest in the new route, she said.
"Representatives of several Chinese tour operators came to Vladivostok on board the first ferry last week. They liked it and said they expected the new route to be popular with Chinese tourists," she said.
Tentative information indicated that there will be no tourists aboard the ferry to arrive in Vladivostok from Rajin on Thursday.
It was reported earlier that the Investstroytrest company based in Vladivostok opened a passenger-cum-cargo ferry line with the North Korean port of Rajin. There was no maritime passenger traffic between Russia and North Korea before.
The Mangyongbong ferry had been performing shuttle trips to the Japanese port of Niigata until 2006. It has been banned from visiting Japan after the North Korean missile tests.
The vessel can carry 193 passengers and up to 1,000 tonnes of cargo.
The ferry boat is scheduled to depart from Rajin on Wednesdays and from Vladivostok on Fridays until the end of June.
The Rajin port administratively belongs to Rason city, which is directly supervised by the North Korean government. Rason city is a special economic zone.