North Korea’s Kim Jong-un wants his own version of Benidorm after officials returned ‘amazed’ from research trip to the Costa Blanca resort
NORTH Korean despot Kim Jong-un has demanded the construction of a Benidorm-style beach resort after officials were left 'amazed' by a trip to Spain's Costa Blanca.
Spanish news outlet El Confidencial reports officials went on a research trip from the French border down the coast to Alicante - gathering inspiration for a resort in Wonsan, on North Korea's east coast.
The officials were said to be left unimpressed by Barcelona's rich cultural attractions - but they were enthralled by Benidorm's holiday parks, including the history-themed Terra Mítica amusement park.
A spokesperson for the North Korean embassy in Madrid also suggested the Marina d'Or enclosed tourism complex in Oropesa del Mar closely matched their plans for Wonsan - but insisted their development would be a 'little bit bigger'.
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The spokesperson added the resort will be ready to welcome visitors by mid-2018, and will target domestic and international travellers.
But visitors may not be able to enjoy the high-rise hotels loved by tourists in Spain - as the tour's organiser revealed the delegation was particularly interested in a local Benidorm campsite.
Matías Pérez Such told El Confidencial: "They put a lot of emphasis on the unit costs of each element of camping.
"It's logical that if they want to begin developing tourism, they start with campsites and not with a 55-storey hotel."
He added: "But it is very positive that they want to stop being the most hermetic country in the world."
News of North Korea's plans to boost its reputation as a tourist destination comes just days after the tragic death of Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old American who died after being imprisoned in the secretive state last year.
He was unexpectedly released earlier this month - but his loved ones soon discovered the reason for his release was that he was in a coma.
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