The number of foreign tourists who visited Moldova in the first nine months of this year rose by over 20% compared with the corresponding period last year. The Moldovans who visited other states increased in number by only 6%, IPN reports.

At the same time, the number of people involved in internal tourism decreased by almost 20%. The number of tourists and excursionists in internal tourism in January–September 2015 came to 26,900. The internal tourism was primarily organized by the tourism agencies and tour operators working in Chisinau municipality (40.5%) and in the development regions Center (28.6%) and South (26.0%).

Of the 11,000 foreign tourists and excursionists who visited Moldova in the period, 61.7% came to rest and amuse themselves, 30.1% - to do business and for job-related purposes, while 3.6% - to receive treatment. Most of the tourists came from Romania (17.3%), Ukraine (10.8%), Russia (9.4%), Turkey (6.0%), and the United States (4.5%).

Most of the Moldovans went abroad to vacation. They preferred to travel mainly to Turkey (37.6%), Bulgaria (31.8%), Greece (11.7%), Romania (8.8%), and Ukraine (1.6%).