Will this event be the key to promoting tourism in the harshest country in winter?
Not only is it a favorite destination for tourists in the summer with its breathtaking open spaces, fresh valleys and traditional nomadic culture, Mongolia also promises to bring unique experiences in the winter. cold.
Taking place from January 14-28 at Sky Resort, a wonderful resort for golf and skiing enthusiasts on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar City, the Mazaalai international ice and snow festival aims to protect the Gobi bear species. rare (Mazaalai in Mongolian), honoring the beauty of ice and snow, while spreading the country’s traditional culture to international friends.
Statue of Gobi bear, an endangered animal at the event. Photo: CNN
Mongolian Culture Minister Nomin Chinbat said this event will mark an important milestone for the development of winter tourism in Mongolia.
“For just two weeks, visitors will be immersed in the beautiful winter landscape as well as the uniqueness of the sculptures on display. We hope that this event will help international tourists better understand winter in this country, thereby promoting tourism development” – He shared.
A 5 meter Gobi bear sculpture at the event. Photo: CNN
Even though it’s only been open for a few days, the event has already set a Guinness World Record for the most people sliding down an ice slide in one hour. Specifically, as part of the opening ceremony, 408 attendees took turns sliding down the 16.4 meter long ice slide, which immediately amazed witnesses and attracted media attention.
Participants in ice skating competition. Photo: CNN
In addition, the festival also impresses with 5-meter-high ice and snow sculptures of Gobi bears, a rare and endangered animal that the Mongolian government is trying to protect.
52 ice Gobi bear statues were erected at the festival to symbolize the number of these bears left in the wild.
On January 17, the festival held the Mazaalai international skating competition, with the participation of 24 artists from six different countries: China, Thailand, France, Russia, America and Mongolia.
Will Mongolia be a destination for all seasons?
This country stretching from Central Asia to East Asia is quite picky about tourists in the winter due to the harshest weather. The capital Ulaanbaatar is said to be one of the coldest cities in the world when winter comes, with average temperatures in January usually ranging from -15 to -30 degrees Celsius. Temperatures can even be colder in many places. northern region of this country.
Not only that, tourists will encounter many obstacles because flights to remote areas of this country will not operate at this time.
However, tourists visiting Mongolia in winter will enjoy great benefits such as: cheaper hotel and tour prices, and impressive snow and ice landscapes. In addition, this country also hosts many unique winter events such as: Khuvsgul Lake Ice Festival takes place in early March.
Culture Minister Chinbat said the new Mazaalai International Ice and Snow Festival is just part of the government’s plan to welcome one million international tourists each year to Mongolia. According to the World Bank, Mongolia welcomed 637,000 international visitors in 2019.
To achieve the set goal, the Mongolian government has expanded the number of subjects entering the country without a visa, some policies will be applied until the end of 2025. Meanwhile, negotiations A move to launch direct flights between Mongolia and the US this year is said to be underway.
