The Mongolian Government decided at a Wednesday cabinet meeting to grant Japanese citizens visa-free entry for up to 30 days. The main purpose of the measure is to attract more Japanese tourists to Mongolia, said G. Zandanshatar, Mongolia“s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The minister said that in the past decade, some 12,000 to 14, 000 Japanese visited Mongolia each year. In 2006, a temporary visa exemption was granted and more than 20,000 Japanese visited the country.

A recent survey found that one average foreign tourist spends some USD350 in Mongolia, which means a tourism revenue of USD 13-14 million every year, said the Mongolian Ministry of Environment and Tourism.