ULAN BATOR, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Mongolian government decided at a Wednesday cabinet meeting to grant Japanese citizens visa-free entry for up to 30 days, the Press and Information Service reported.
According to the decision, Japanese nationals are now allowed to stay in Mongolian territories for 30 days with no visa requirements.
The main purpose of the measure is to attract more Japanese tourists to Mongolia, said G. Zandanshatar, Mongolia's Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The minister said that in the past decade, some 12,000 to 14, 000 Japanese visited Mongolia each year. In 2006, a temporary visa exemption was granted and more than 20,000 Japanese visited the country.
A recent survey found that one average foreign tourist spends some 350 U.S. dollars in Mongolia, which means a tourism revenue of 13-14 million dollars every year, said the Mongolian Ministry of Environment and Tourism.
