ULAN BATOR, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia received the highest number of Chinese tourists in 2024, with a total of 221,250 visitors, according to official data released by the Mongolian Tourism Organization on Thursday.
The Chinese tourists accounted for 30.4 percent of the total international tourist arrivals to Mongolia, the report said, adding that the landlocked Asian country attracted a total of 727,400 foreign visitors at the end of 2024, up 11.9 percent from the 650,000 international guests in the same period of last year.
According to experts, Chinese tourists continue to make a significant contribution to the development of Mongolia's tourism sector.
China has become one of the biggest sources of foreign tourists to Mongolia in 2024, leaving behind Russia and South Korea, according to the report.
Currently, Mongolia's economy relies most heavily on the export of mineral resources. Tourism promotion is considered one of the priorities for diversifying the country's economy and increasing the competitiveness of its tourism in the context of global competition.
According to Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene, the Mongolian government has decided to continue the "Years to Visit Mongolia" tourism program until 2028 to promote the development of four-season tourism in the country.
By 2028, Mongolia plans to receive a total of 2 million foreign tourists as part of its policy to support the tourism sector under the official motto "Go Mongolia," he added. ■
