Ulaanbaatar, Jan 10 (IANS): Mongolia welcomed a total of 290,400 foreign visitors in 2022, earning $350 million from the Covid-hit tourism sector, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism said on Tuesday.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of foreign visitor arrivals in Mongolia declined to only 33,000 in 2021, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying.
Mongolia has been taking various measures to promote the pandemic-hit tourism sector.
Particularly, the government recently made a decision to exempt citizens of 34 countries from visa requirements for up to 30 days until the end of 2025.
The country has also declared 2023 and 2024 as "Years to Visit Mongolia", and is expected to organise more than 90 events in 2023 to promote the ector.
The country has set a goal of welcoming at least 1 million foreign tourists and earning $1 billion from tourism in 2024.