At Wednesday’s session, the Mongolian Cabinet discussed establishing an eco-zone at the Khuvsgul Lake National Park with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank; it also decided to limit the number of tourism licenses for the area.

Khuvsgul Lake holds 70 percent of Mongolian pure water reserves and is one of the 17 oldest lakes in the world. It is 1,645 metres (5,397 feet) above sea level, 136 kilometres (85 miles) long and 262 metres (860 feet) deep.

Ger and chalet camps have increased around the lake due to the sharp rise of local and foreign tourists. In 2013, Khuvsgul Lake received 23000 tourists – within five years this had tripled to 120000. Currently, 129 legal entities control tourism activity in the area; 160 of the facilities they run are unauthorized, officials said.