A tour guide credited with pioneering affordable travel to North Korea has died.
Troy Collings co-founded Young Pioneer Tours, a company focused on providing affordable tours to the reclusive, communist country.
A statement posted to the company’s website confirmed the 33-year-old, originally from Auckland, died last week of a heart attack.
“Troy was instrumental in establishing Young Pioneer Tours as one of the leading travel companies for North Korea,” the company said.
“We here at YPT have lost a visionary and a true pioneer to the travelling industry.”
Collings co-founded the company in 2008 following a research trip, where he realised “the potential tourism had to help the locals and to influence the country’s development”, according to an interview posted to the tour company’s website.
“More importantly, I made some real human connections with people I met that had a profound effect on me,” he said.
“I decided during that trip that this is what I wanted to dedicate my life to.”
The company made headlines in 2016 when Otto Warmbier, who was travelling with Young Pioneer Tours, was sentenced to 15 years prison for allegedly stealing a propaganda sign. He was returned to the US in a coma and died shortly after.
“Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know or to be led on a tour by Troy have lost a dear friend,” the statement from Young Pioneer Tours continued.
“No words can adequately express our sadness over Troy’s death and our condolences are passed onto his family in New Zealand.”
The tour company said it will honour Collings death by “continuing the work he loved so much”.
