The National Association of Tourism Legal Agents of Moldova (ANAT) requested the National Extraordinary Public Health Commission to annul the obligation to present the negative result of a PCR test when entering Moldova for the inbound and outbound tourism. In a letter signed by ANAT president Anna Colta, which is addressed to acting Prime Minister Aureliu Ciocoi, the operators ask to consider the opportunity of relaxing the entry conditions for Moldovan citizens and for foreigners with permits of stay in the Republic of Moldova, IPN reports.

The request was formulated following the improvement of the pandemic situation in Moldova and globally and based on the experience of other states. According to ANAT, owing to the pandemic situation in 2020 – 2021, Moldova’s tourism industry (both inbound and, especially, outbound tourism) has been seriously affected. The multiple problems, such as the additional costs incurred for doing a PCR test for COVID-19, hamper the relaunch of the tourism sector in the Republic of Moldova despite the available theoretical possibilities.The situation is even more serious owing to the fact that the national tour operators have to return large sums of money collected as advance from tourists for the summer season of 2020.