ULAN BATOR, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia received a total of 339,517 foreign tourists in the first half of this year, up 75.7 percent year-on-year, the country's Ministry of Environment and Tourism said Tuesday.

Russia, China and South Korea were the biggest sources of tourist arrivals for Mongolia in the January-June period, the ministry said in a statement.

The Mongolian government has been taking measures to revive the pandemic-hit tourism sector.

In January, 34 countries were granted visa-free entry to Mongolia for tourism purposes, which increased the number of visa-exempt countries to 61.

The Asian country has also declared 2023-2025 as "Years to Visit Mongolia" to promote tourism.

Currently, Mongolia's economy is largely dependent on its export-oriented mining sector. Developing tourism is seen as the most viable way to diversify the economy.

The country has set a goal of welcoming one million foreign tourists and earning one billion U.S. dollars from tourism in the coming years. Enditem

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