Let me tell you my very unique story.

I had the rare opportunity to intern at one of the most unique travel agencies out there - Koryo Tours.

Like most of you, I’d been following Koryo Tours’ social media channels for some time, fascinated by their focus on unusual destinations such as North Korea, Turkmenistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

Then, one late spring day in 2024, I noticed a Marketing/Social Media internship opening announcement with the company.

An internship with Koryo Tours sounded like the perfect way to learn the ropes. From understanding the workload and team dynamics to enjoying a few exciting travel perks to unusual destinations along the way.

I was sold.

As a travel addict who has visited around 70 countries, I’ve long admired Koryo Tours’ reputation for bringing people to offbeat destinations. My passion for remote places has taken me to Antarctica, the Cook Islands, Svalbard, and Easter Island.

So, when the opportunity came to dive into the travel industry with Koryo Tours, it was a no-brainer.

And soon enough, I became one of the two interns that Koryo Tours selected just a few weeks after the selection and interview process.

Let the Internship Begin

I was thrilled to join the Marketing & Social Media team alongside fellow intern Panos.

Our tiny but mighty marketing department is led by Zoe, the driving force behind Koryo Tours’ social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, and the koryogroup.com website.

We kicked things off with a marketing team meeting, where we were introduced to our responsibilities and the fast pace of the role.

Almost immediately - just a few weeks after we started - North Korea announced it was reopening to tourism, beginning with Samjiyon.

Suddenly, we had to learn quickly, adapt to the workflow, and support one of the biggest tourism updates in nearly six years.

And that’s just the beginning of our internship journey with Koryo Tours.

An International Team

One thing I love about our Koryo Tours team is its globally dispersed team.

Many team members are British (complete with their wit and friendly sarcasm), including Nick (Koryo Tours’ founder) and Simon (General Tour Manager), who split their time between the UK, France, and destinations like Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and China.

Rich, our International Tour Manager, is based in Mongolia, a place high on my travel list, especially after seeing his photos of the Gobi Desert, Eagle Festival, and Mongolian traditional yurt experiences.

Greg, our DPRK Tour Manager, is originally from Hungary but has called Beijing home for years. His knowledge of lesser-known North Korean destinations like Rason, Yanji, and Samjiyon had me constantly pulling up Google Maps to learn more.

And then there’s Zoe, the most well-travelled person on our team. Trying to keep up with her adventures in Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, or Taiwan was a challenge in itself.

And of course, there’s Panos, my fellow intern, based in the Great White North of Canada, sharing a time zone much closer to mine.

With such a diverse and geographically scattered team, scheduling a group online meeting was no easy feat. With people in Dhaka, Toronto, Beijing, and my own shifting locations in the Western U.S. and Mexico, even a simple Google Meet required careful coordination.

But somehow, we made it work.

The Workload

As a newcomer to the travel industry, I had a lot to learn.

Our main focus was content creation for Instagram Reels, Facebook, and visual content for Koryo’s platforms. Zoe helped us play to our strengths—mine being content scheduling and backend work on the website, including writing blog posts and travel guides. Panos created engaging graphics and handled designs for newsletters and tour promotions.

(By the way - if you haven’t signed up for the newsletter yet, you should!)

North Korea’s Surprise Reopening

Our first big test came just after we began in August 2024.

North Korea announced it was reopening to tourism for the first time since its borders closed in January 2020 due to COVID-19.
The first destination? Samjiyon, a scenic mountain town in the DPRK. The announcement came in Korean time, 2 AM for me, 4 AM for Panos.

We had to act fast: announcements, graphics, Reels, newsletters. The following weeks were a whirlwind as media outlets from around the world reached out.
It was chaotic, but an unforgettable crash course in travel marketing.

What I Learned

Over the months, we refined our social media voice, improved internal systems, and mastered new tools for content creation, branding, and marketing. Most importantly, we strategised around the potential reopening of DPRK tourism.

Zoe mentored us through every step, and honestly, I still don’t know how she manages it all.

Rason: The Real Reopening

Ultimately, Samjiyon turned out to be a false start, but it prepared us well.

In February 2025, the real reopening took place in Rason, a Special Economic Zone. Unlike before, this time the tour actually happened, and we were ready.

We walked our audience through the process, shared updates, and helped travellers prepare. On February 20, 2025, we successfully led the first Western group tour to North Korea in more than five years.

It was a major moment, and one I’m proud to have contributed to.

Just three weeks later, while our second Rason tour was still ongoing, North Korea closed its borders again. That’s when I realised, this niche of North Korean tourism is not for the faint-hearted.

The Months That Followed

Nine months in, my internship with Koryo Tours has been nothing short of extraordinary. From breaking news to supporting the return of Western tourists to North Korea, I’ve gained practical experience in travel marketing that I never imagined.

And it didn’t stop there, in April 2025, we helped organise two delegation tours for the Pyongyang Marathon 2025, the first held in six years, drawing around 200 amateur runners with just two weeks of promotion.

We also helped launch Koryo’s first-ever tours to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hungary, and Serbia, all while keeping a close eye on the ever-changing status of tourism access to North Korea.

All of this has happened in under a year since I joined one of the most fascinating travel companies in the world, and I’m excited to see what’s next on my plate with Koryo Tours.

And of course, I’m holding onto the hope that another North Korea tourism reopening is just around the corner.