The 11th UB Food Festival features 2-3 tons of Uzbek plov and flour soup, cooked by monks in a massive 1-ton cast iron pot.  Irony? The festival’s goal is to attract tourists before the tourist season begins.

💣 Chaos + Disorganized

Unsurprisingly, the UB Food Festival attracts only locals, with tourists rarely seen as people line up at the square. Tourists are unlikely to be drawn to an unorganized festival that lacks variety and fails to highlight the richness of national cuisine.

• 🙂‍↔️ Profit? Not Quite: The festival charges an entry fee of ₮5,000 (or $1.4) to enter a pavilion that holds up to 10,000 people, offering them food samples. The estimated income is ₮175 million, while the cost to organize it is ₮600 million. That’s a loss of ₮425 million, not profit.

🫏 The Main Problem: The Government Took Over

Normally, restaurants and small businesses, which are the true culinary gems, take part in food festivals. These festivals are well-organized and promote local food businesses. For example, Chicago’s “Taste of Chicago” attracts over 1.5 million people annually, and the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is a collaboration between the city and local businesses.

👹 The Idea Was Good, But the Execution Failed

The concept of the festival is fine, but the execution is flawed. The Capital city mayor essentially forced the city to take on the role of chef. If organized by businesses, the festival could have diverse dishes that meet international standards and truly attract tourists.

Finally… Ulaanbaatar is already facing a budget deficit of ₮1.6 billion. Instead of addressing the deficit, the city hosts a food festival, leaving taxpayers to cover the deficit and the costs of the festival. What the capital city truly achieves is a populist agenda, culminating in a failed festival.