Revenue from the Mongolian tourism sector reached USD 400 million in 2017 as more than two million Mongolians travelled through their homeland.  In addition, the number of foreigners visiting the country reached to 470,000 last year.

 Over half-a-million Mongolians visited the Aglag Buteel Monastery and Gorkhi-Terelj National Park last year while the number of visitors to Lake Khuvsgul reached between 5000-7000 during the traditional Naadam holidays. Almost 15000 domestic travellers also visited the ‘Blue Pearl’ ice festival which was held at the lake in March 2017.

Mongolia was once shorthand for “a very long way away” thanks to its geographical isolation amidst vast steppes and sandy deserts. But this rugged Central Asian nation now seems to be currying favour with travellers; according to the UNWTO, international arrivals are up 28.3 per cent in 2017.