Fast-growing Moldova tourism eyes digitization and European integration
Employers' associations in Moldova are strongly encouraging the establishment of a National Tourism Platform, viewing it as a critical instrument for modernizing and accelerating the digitalization of the country's booming tourism industry.
Sergiu Manea, President of the Employers' Association of the Tourism Industry of Moldova, emphasized the competitive benefits.
"For Moldova, this platform offers major advantages, including European recognition, access to European expertise, professional training programs, quality standards, and full integration into the European tourism ecosystem," Manea stated at a recent press conference. "By creating this platform, the Republic of Moldova actively joins this European mechanism."
This platform is crucial as the number of international arrivals continues to surge. Igor Crijanovschi, Executive Director of the Tourist Information Center in Tiraspol, underscored the importance of integrating the separatist Transnistrian region (based in Tiraspol) and the autonomous region of Gagauzia.
"The flow of tourists into the Transnistrian region has doubled this year alone. It is interesting to note a significant influx of tourists from Poland in the last four months," Crijanovschi highlighted.
Gastronomy remains a cornerstone of the tourism experience, added Aurica Chirsanova, Head of the Department of Food and Nutrition at the Technical University of Moldova (UTM).
"We are prepared to train the next generation of specialists who will represent this vital sector—tourism—which is inseparable from gastronomy and leisure services in Moldova," the UTM representative confirmed.
The push for modernization comes as Moldova ranks in the Top 10 fastest-growing European tourist destinations for international arrivals. In the first two quarters of 2025, the number of foreign visitors exceeded 37,000 people, marking a dramatic 44% increase compared to the same period the previous year. Most visitors arrived from Romania, Italy, and Turkey.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
