Mongolia declares 2023, 2024 as "Years to Visit Mongolia"

ULAN BATOR, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Mongolian government on Tuesday decided to declare 2023 and 2024 as "Years to Visit Mongolia" to promote the country's pandemic-hit tourism sector.

"The move will give a major boost to our country's goal of attracting 1 million foreign tourists in 2024," Mongolian Minister of Environment and Tourism Bat-Ulzii Bat-Erdene told a press conference after a regular meeting of the government.

Meanwhile, the government on Tuesday launched an online platform for promoting Mongolia internationally, said Bat-Erdene.

In addition, every foreign tourist who has obtained an e-visa to come to Mongolia will soon receive a greeting letter from the prime minister of Mongolia titled "Welcome to Mongolia," he said.

Currently, Mongolia's economy is largely dependent on its export-oriented mining sector. Developing tourism is seen as the most viable way to diversify the economy.

Mongolia has set a goal of welcoming 1 million foreign tourists and earning 1 billion U.S. dollars from tourism in 2024.

The country attracted a total of 42,060 foreign tourists in the first five months of this year, up 391.7 percent from the same period last year, as a result of re-opening its borders to foreign tourists in February.