As part of the “Years to Visit Mongolia 2024-2028” Initiative, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, Tourism, and Youth of Mongolia, in collaboration with the Mongolia Tourism Organization, is organizing the “Tourism Week-2025” on February 10-15, 2025.

The “Tourism Week-2025” brings together representatives from 30 public organizations, 1,200 private sector companies, 85 NGOs, research institutions, and professional associations, as well as 30 international organizations, serving as a dynamic platform for discussing the achievements, challenges, and future development strategies of the tourism industry of Mongolia.

Notable figures, including Minister of Culture, Sports, Tourism, and Youth of Mongolia Nomin Chinbat, President of the Mongolia Tourism Organization T. Battulga, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Mongolia Tourism Organization B. Zolbadrakh, and officials from the Tourism Policy Implementation Department of Ulaanbaatar City, delivered speeches. Esteemed international guests, such as Regional Director of Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) Hannah Pearson, and Professor at Sejong University Dr. Seul Kee Li, also shared their invaluable perspectives on the global tourism landscape.

At the Opening Ceremony, Minister Nomin Chinbat highlighted several major achievements in the tourism sector from the previous year. A notable milestone was Mongolia’s formal partnership with Trip.com, a platform with 500 million users, enabling travelers to easily book flights to Mongolia and purchase tourism products and services. Moreover, the Minister emphasized, “Mongolia has been named an official partner at the “China International Travel Mart” and has earned accolades from globally renowned travel publications such as “Lonely Planet” and “Wanderlust,” which have ranked Mongolia among the top destinations to visit in 2024. These efforts have contributed to a remarkable 126 percent increase in positive perceptions of Mongolia internationally.

In an effort to boost air travel accessibility, aviation agreements have been signed with key countries, facilitating direct flights to 155 destinations as of 2024. Mongolia also achieved a historical milestone by surpassing 2 million air travelers. As part of this, United Airlines, a major airline company in the United States, is to commence direct flights to Mongolia in May 2025.

In line with visa policy simplifications, citizens from 32 countries can now visit Mongolia without a visa, while citizens from 36 countries are eligible for e-visa applications. Collaborative efforts with international media organizations such as CNN, BCC, and influential global content creators have notably enhanced Mongolia’s international profile.

Mongolia is seeking to welcome two million tourists annually by 2030 and double the average expenditure per tourist from USD 2,000 to USD 4,000. This ambitious target could generate up to USD 8 billion in tourism revenue, contributing 10 percent to the country’s GDP. To reach this target, Mongolia's tourism sector must maintain an annual growth rate exceeding 15 percent, supported by cohesive strategies, sustainable investments, and inter-sectoral coordination.”

Furthermore, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Mongolia Tourism Organization B. Zolbadrakh noted, “Since the launch of the “Years to Visit Mongolia” initiative in 2023, the tourism sector of Mongolia has seen a remarkable 23-percent growth, which is an impressive achievement by any standard. The upcoming discussions during the event will focus on how to build on this success, with particular attention to promoting year-round tourism and integrating it with regional development strategies to reach one million tourists annually.”

President of the the Mongolia Tourism Organization T. Battulga highlighted, “While growth metrics remain essential, the quality of the tourist experience is equally crucial. Enhancing the length of stay and enriching the travel experience are top priorities. Developing region-specific tourism strategies and fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors will be vital to realizing these goals.”

Regional Director of Adventure Travel Trade Association Hannah Pearson shared, “This is my second time in Mongolia. For me, my purpose for participating in the “Tourism Week-2025” event is to share how the "Adventure Travel Trade Association" sees adventure travel, the trends, and how that can support Mongolia and its aims to develop tourism.

The strengths of Mongolia's tourism sector are the amazing landscapes, the culture, and the spiritual side as well. There is a lot that Mongolia has to offer. On the other hand, Mongolia seems to have challenges in the private sector. Connectivity seems to be one of the big challenges. Moreover, another issue is seasonality. The fact that a lot of travelers come in the summer and not in the winter might be a challenge. However, I believe adventure travel can help address the seasonality because adventure travelers love to travel in the shoulder season. They don’t mind the extreme temperatures. So it is definitely an opportunity. Adventure Travel Trade Association brings vast expertise in helping destinations position themselves as globally attractive travel hubs.

Although my experience in Mongolia is still relatively limited, I went out to the steppes, where we rode horses. This might be the typical experience for tourists visiting Mongolia, but this experience was quite unique. I think experiences like that, perhaps even more off the beaten track, even more engagement in local cultures and nomadic life, should really attract tourists to visit Mongolia.”