ULAN BATOR, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia welcomed a total of 290,400 foreign tourists in 2022, earning 350 million U.S. dollars from the tourism sector, its Ministry of Environment and Tourism said Tuesday.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of foreign visitor arrivals in Mongolia declined to only 33,000 in 2021, according to the ministry.
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.
Mongolia has also declared 2023 and 2024 as "Years to Visit Mongolia," and is expected to organize more than 90 events in 2023 to promote the tourism sector.
The country has set a goal of welcoming at least 1 million foreign tourists and earning 1 billion U.S. dollars from tourism in 2024. ■
