North Korea to offer flight tours over capital in Soviet-era helicopter

The 105-storey Ryugyong Hotel, the highest building under construction in North Korea, is seen in Pyongyang April 11, 2012. REUTERS/Bobby Yip

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea will offer helicopter sightseeing tours of its capital, Pyongyang, starting from this month, tourist agencies specialising in trips to the isolated country told Reuters on Thursday.

North Korea does not publish tourist numbers but an estimated 6,000 Westerners visit the country each year, according to tour companies. The vast majority of tourists are from neighbouring China.