Mongolia Visitor Statistics

Mongolia receives several hundred thousand foreign visitors a year. According to the National Statistics Office of Mongolia (NSO), arrivals were roughly 577,000 in 2019, collapsed during the COVID-19 border closures of 2020–2021, and recovered to roughly 594,000 in 2023, about 727,000 in 2024 and about 847,000 in 2025. All figures on this page are approximate and rounded — for exact, up-to-date numbers, consult the NSO's official statistics.

Mongolia visitor numbers by year (approximate)

• 2019: about 577,000 foreign visitors, the pre-pandemic high.
• 2020–2021: a steep fall to a small fraction of earlier levels, as borders were largely closed to foreigners.
• 2022: partial recovery after restrictions were lifted.
• 2023: roughly 594,000, slightly above the 2019 level.
• 2024: about 727,000, continuing the upward trend.
• 2025: about 847,000, a new record.

The government has promoted tourism heavily, with the stated aim of reaching around one million foreign visitors a year. Whether and when that is reached is best checked in the latest NSO releases.

Top source markets

China, Russia and South Korea typically account for the largest numbers of visitors, reflecting proximity and frequent air and land connections. South Korea has been one of the fastest-growing markets in recent years, helped by many direct flights. Japan, Kazakhstan, the United States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom are among the other important markets.

Keep in mind that counts from neighbouring countries include business travellers, traders, workers and people visiting relatives, so not every "visitor" is a holidaymaker. Long-haul markets such as Europe and North America include a higher share of leisure travellers on organised tours.

Seasonality of arrivals

Arrivals are strongly seasonal. The months from June to September account for the majority of leisure visitors, and July, the month of Naadam, is usually the busiest. Winter arrivals are dominated by business and regional travel, although winter festivals are slowly attracting more tourists. Because the season is short, ger camps, domestic flights, drivers and guides are stretched in peak weeks and many businesses close in the off-season.

How the statistics are collected

NSO visitor figures are based mainly on border-crossing records kept by the immigration authorities, counting foreign citizens entering Mongolia. Definitions matter: some reports quote all foreign arrivals, others count only "tourists" or break arrivals down by purpose of visit, and monthly figures may be revised. Tourism revenue estimates come from separate surveys and from balance-of-payments data published by the Bank of Mongolia. When you compare years or quote a number, check which definition and which release it comes from.

What the numbers mean for travellers

• Mongolia remains uncrowded by global standards: even in record years, visitor numbers stay under a million in a country nearly three times the size of France.
• Popular spots such as Khongoryn Els, Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake and Lake Khövsgöl can still feel busy in July.
• Book camps, flights and guides early if you plan to travel around Naadam.
• Travelling in June or September gives you good weather with fewer people.
• For the latest data, look up the tourism and border-crossing tables in the NSO's online statistical database.