A total of 70,500 tourists visited Mongolia in the first quarter of 2018, representing an 11% increase on the previous year.

The data, published by Mongolia’s National Statistics Office showed that the biggest number of tourists arrived from Russia – 36% and China – 32.6%. The number of tourists from South Korea has also increased, with 7,157 Koreans visiting the country in the first quarter of this year, which represents a rise of 15.7%.

In the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report of 2017, Mongolia’s ranking fell by three, down to 102nd place in the world. This would mean Mongolia’s travel and tourism environment is valued equal to that of Cambodia and Nepal. The report indicates the sector’s slowdown was due to poor quality of service, lack of planning and diversification in Mongolia.