AKIPRESS.COM - As part of its goal to promote the tourism sector, Mongolia aims to develop cross-border tourism with its neighbors -- China and Russia, Mongolian Minister of Environment and Tourism Bat-Ulzii Bat-Erdene has said.
"In particular, we are working to create legal conditions for the development of cross-border tourism with neighboring China and Russia, and to create 72-hour cross-border tourism zones," Bat-Erdene told Xinhua in a recent interview.
Mongolia has set a goal of welcoming 1 million foreign tourists and earning 1 billion U.S. dollars from tourism in 2024, said the minister, adding the Asian country plans to set 2023 and 2024 as "Years to Visit Mongolia" to promote the pandemic-hit tourism sector.
Mongolia has also been considering exempting visa requirements for a list of 11 countries, Bat-Erdene said.
Given the fact that the Asian country's tourism is seasonal, the minister said Mongolia has attached great importance to developing winter tourism to boost its tourism industry.