Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mongolia’s biggest tourist attraction, the ‘Naadam’ Festival, is expected to be held without foreign audiences. According to statistics, at least 11,000 tourists come to Mongolia every year specifically to watch the Naadam Festival which is always held on 10-13 July.

As Mongolia slowly emerges from the lockdown, things are gradually returning to normal. Last week it was officially announced that the Naadam Festival ‘would’ take place, but with the opening and closing ceremonies being televised and with an emphasis on local visitors.

According to D.Otgonbayar, CEO of the Mongolian Tourism Association, some 2.4 million Mongolians travelled to foreign countries in 2019; half of this number are expected to travel locally during the summer time.

Last year, Mongolia received 577,000 foreign tourists.