Foreign tourists coming to the Republic of Moldova spend over 23 thousand lei per visit, while Moldovans from the diaspora, spend slightly more than 16 thousand lei upon return. The data was collected via a survey conducted at the border, at the exit from the Republic of Moldova. The results were presented today by the National Association for Inbound Tourism.

Dumitru Slonovschi, author of the study, said that the period of stay of foreigners caps at two weeks, while Moldovans stay for almost a month. The expenses incurred are largely for flights, accommodations, food and transportation.

The interviews were conducted between October 10 and November 15, 2018, around the National Wine Day. Both foreign tourists and Moldovans from the diaspora came to Moldova to taste wine, to visit wineries, cellars, monuments and to participate in festivals. One out of two visitors went to see Orheiul Vechi.

On a scale from 1 to 5 points, the expectations of foreign tourists were met at the level of 4.1 points, and of Moldovans - 3.6 points. Both Moldovans and foreigners enjoyed local dishes, local hospitality, the wines, the nature and the landscapes of the country. 

The author of the survey said that 64% of foreign tourists were inclined to recommend a visit to the Republic of Moldova to friends and relatives. When it comes to departed Moldovans, the proportion is 61%.

Dumitru Slonovschi said that the diaspora is becoming an important audience for Moldovan tourism. "The Moldovan tends to have a tourist behavior who visits various places in the country and participates in festivals". Furthermore, Moldovans from the diaspora influence the tourists' destination choice, so as to  visit Moldova. Half of the foreigners who come to Moldova are active tourists who visit 5-7 countries during the holidays. 

Rodica Verbeniuc, managing director of the Investment Agency, said that inbound tourism is a high potential sector. Currently, it represents 0.9% of the country's GDP. Additional measures are required in order to promote the country as a tourist destination so as to increase the number of tourists and lengthen their period of stay.

The survey was conducted on a sample of 812 foreign citizens and 213 Moldovans from the diaspora.