Within the framework of an ongoing JICA’s Sustainable Tourism Development Project in Mongolia, an international seminar entitled “Promoting Sustainable Tourism in Mongolia’s Tourism Destinations” was held in conjunction with the government event Tourism Week 2026. The seminar was organized by Mongolia’s Ministry of Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth (MCSTY) and the Mongolian Tourism Organization, in cooperation with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the UN Tourism Regional Support Office for Asia and the Pacific (RSOAP), inviting experts and practitioners in sustainable tourism from Japan.
JICA is dispatching an individual expert in Sustainable Tourism Development to the MCSTY until December 2027. The project aims to strengthen the capacity of tourism stakeholders and organizations in the target regions, promote sustainable tourism aligned with international standards, and enhance destination branding. Ultimately, the initiative seeks to improve Mongolia’s international recognition and competitiveness as a tourism destination and contribute to the promotion of inbound tourism. Meanwhile, the UN Tourism RSOAP is considering expanding its sustainable tourism destination management initiatives to Mongolia, following activities implemented in Vietnam until 2024.
The seminar was attended by more than 350 participants from across Mongolia, including representatives from government agencies, local governments, tourism associations, tourism businesses such as accommodation, guides, and tour operators. During the seminar, speakers introduced global trends in sustainable tourism and highlighted international certification schemes as practical tools for promoting sustainable tourism at destination level. The program also presented the Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism initiative as a concrete example of an international recognition program, as well as the Toolkit of Indicators for Projects (TIPs), a tool jointly developed by UN Tourism and JICA. In addition, the results of a preliminary research survey undertaken by the Project on the current status and readiness of destinations in Mongolia for obtaining international sustainability certifications were presented.
On March 10, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was exchanged between the Ministry of Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth, the Project, and representatives from the provinces, officially designating Southgovi province and the Tourism Central Zone—comprising Selenge province, Darkhan-Uul province, and Tuv province—as the official target areas for project support.
Panel Discussion during the Seminar @MTO
In the afternoon, the first plenary meeting of the JICA Sustainable Tourism Committee was convened with representatives from the project target areas. Chaired by the Director of the Tourism Policy Department of the MCSTY, the meeting discussed the establishment of committees at the provincial and zonal levels, key challenges in implementing sustainable tourism in each province, and the detailed planning of future project activities to address these challenges.
Mr. Makino, JICA Expert, facilitating the meeting
The international seminar series is planned to be held four times during the project period in collaboration with UN Tourism RSOAP. The next seminar is expected to take place in conjunction with UNCCD COP17, scheduled to be hosted by Mongolia from August 17 to 28 2026.
The collaboration among JICA, UN Tourism RSOAP and Mongolia’s partner organizations is expected to further advance sustainable tourism across the Asia-Pacific region.
