Support to Mongolia's tourism competitiveness

Ulaanbaatar. The USAid - Economic Policy Reform and Competitiveness Project (EPRC) has been promoting the formation of a private sector led independent National Tourism Organization (NTO) for Mongolia. Such a NTO would be positioned as the lead agency for the promotion and development of tourism in Mongolia.

The concept of a private sector led NTO is also supported by the German donor GTZ through its SME promotion project. Most recently the ICON Institute GmbH Private Sector, on behalf of GTZ produced a "Strategic Tourism Development Plan 2006-2010" at the consideration by the Ministry of Road, Tourism and Transportation. This strategy supports the creation of a NTO.

In order to develop forward the concept of a NTO, an in-country training, to introduce and demonstrate best practice models of NTO's appropriate to the Mongolian industry, has been carried out. On conclusion the participants are able to input to the design and structure of a Mongolian NTO, to ensure an effective private sector led organization.

To obtain additional information on NTO's, a study tour to Germany, Hungary and Croatia has been organized with visits to the German National Tourism Board, Croatian National Tourism Board and to the Hungarian National Tourism Office.

Additional meetings were held with government officials and professionals from the hotel and tourism industry of the visited countries.