Ulaanbaatar/MONTSAME/. In the first 9 months of 2020, 1 063.3 thousand passengers (repeated counting) have crossed the border of Mongolia, decreased by 3 660.5 thousand or 77.5% compared to the previous year.

In the first nine months of 2020, 546.8 thousand passengers entered Mongolia. Of all inbound passengers, 25.4% crossed through Zamiin-Uud, 23.0% crossed through Gashuunsukhait, 16.7% crossed through Buyant-Ukhaa, 14.0% crossed through Shiveekhuren, 9.2% crossed through Altanbulag, and 11.7% crossed through other border points. Out of the inbound passengers, 486.2 thousand (88.9%) were Mongolian citizens, and 60.5 thousand (11.1%) were foreigners.

Due to the global outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), Mongolia’s border crossings were suspended from February 1, 2020. In July of this year, 3 519 Mongolian citizens arrived at the airport, 425 citizens came through road and railway ports. In August, 3 824 Mongolian citizens arrived on charter flights and 208 citizens arrived through road and railway ports. In September, 3 190 Mongolian citizens arrived on charter flights and 70 citizens came through road and railway ports.

The Baitag, Sumber, Khavirga ports have been closed since January 31, Buyant-Ukhaa, Zamiin-Uud, Bayankhoshuu, Bichigt, Bulgan, Gashuunsukhait, Khangi and Shivee khuren ports closed since February 15 and Altanbulag, Artssuuri, Borshoo, Tes, Ulikhan, Khankh, Tsagaannuur, Sukhbaatar and Ereentsav ports have been closed since March 11, 2020.

In the first nine months of 2020, 60.5 thousand foreign passengers have entered, decreased by 465.1 thousand, or 88.5% compared to the previous year. Of those foreign passengers, 87.9% were stayed up to 30 days, 1.8% were stayed for 30 to 90 days and 10.3% were stayed for 90 days or more. By the purpose of entry of the foreign passengers, 7.2 thousand or 11.8% entered for tourism purposes and 53.4 thousand or 88.2% entered for business, study and permanent residence purposes.

The number of foreign passengers decreased by 424.6 thousand or (88.8%) compared to the same period of the previous year.

Also, 53.3% of inbound foreign passengers were visited from Europe, 42.0% from South Asia, 2.8% from East Asia and Pacific region, 1.9% from the Middle East, Americas, and African regions. Among all the inbound foreign passengers, 25.0% were Chinese, 46.0% were Russian, 9.1% were South Koreans, 2.1% were Japanese, 3.2% were Belarus, 2.5% were Kazakhs, 12.1% were from other countries.

In the first nine months of 2020, 452.2 thousand Mongolian passengers (repeated counting) traveled abroad, of which 243.4 thousand or 53.8% traveled for tourism purposes, decreased by 1 246.8 thousand or 83.7% compared to the previous year and 208.8 thousand or 46.2% traveled for business, study and permanent residence purposes, decreased by 145.3 thousand or 58.9% compared to the previous year.

In the first nine months of 2020, there were 1 301.2 thousand crossings of transport vehicles (repeated counting) entered through the border of Mongolia, which decreased by 748.7 thousand or 63.5% compared to the previous year. Among all crossing of the transport vehicles, 49.1% crossed through Zamiin-Uud, 18.2% through Gashuunsukhait, 13.0% through Sukhbaatar, 11.2% through Shiveekhuren, 3.0% through Altanbulag and 5.5% through other border points.

Source: National Statistics Office