More famous as the birthplace of Chinggis Khaan, founder of the Mongol
Empire, than as a tourism destination, in modern times Mongolia has relied on mining as its main source of income, with 80% of its exports coming from the substantial mineral deposits found inside its borders.

However, thanks to the rise in popularity of experience drive holidays, with events such as the annual Nadaam Festival, where participants celebrate Mongolians’ rich heritage with horse races, archery contests and wrestling, the country is now drawing tourists from Russia, China and APAC as well as Europe and the United States.

Compounding this tourism trend, Mongolia also introduced a measure to drive the country’s potential by abolishing tourism licenses and the introduction of a tax exemption scheme which offers up to 10% of total investment to companies building “high-rated hotels and tourist complexes”.

This has resulted in Mongolia witness a slow, but steady, increase in the number of international visitors, creeping up to 705,000 in first quarter of 2018, a 11% increase on 2017’s figure.

One company seeking to take advantage of the uptick in interest to Mongolia is Hunnu Air, Mongolia’s second largest airline, who have announced a new deal with the Sabre Corporation which will see the carrier’s content rolled out via the tech provider’s marketplace platform used by more than 425,000 global travel agents. (travel daily media)