Project preparatory technical assistance for Sustainable Tourism development Master plan at Khuvsgul Lake National Park (UNESCO WHS), Mongolia

Project title: Project preparatory technical assistance for Sustainable Tourism development Master plan at Khuvsgul Lake National Park (UNESCO WHS), Mongolia

Assignment Location: Ulaanbaatar and Khuvsgul lake National Park

Detailed project description:

With 500,000 international tourists in 2016, Mongolia tourism sector is incipient, but expending. The situation in Khuvsgul Lake National Park in northern Mongolia, one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, is representative of some of the challenges and paradoxes faced by the tourism sector in Mongolia: while developing tourism is seen as an unprecedented economic opportunity, the uncontrolled growth of visitors has reverted in limited economic benefits for the local population, and threatens the natural resources. In order to break this vicious spiral, the Government and ADB have proposed the “Sustainable Tourism Development Project for Mongolia”, which intends to build develop a comprehensive and balanced approach for low-impact tourism in KLNP which benefits communities and protects the environment. Voltere, in JV with engineering firm Egis, was mandated to lead the project preparatory technical assistance, or design phase, of this project. The scope of Voltere’s work included leading a team of over 20 national and international consultants and engineers to prepare the preparatory documents for the loan between ADB and the Government of Mongolia (38 million USD). Our specific work included a market analysis focusing on tourists, an international benchmark regarding tourism valorisation of natural sites, fieldwork and workshop facilitation with local and national authorities, proposal of sustainable tourist product portfolio aiming at maximizing local economic spill overs while ensuring sustainability, as well as pre-feasibility study of the proposed public and private tourism investment opportunities.