National tourist attractions are visited more by Moldovans than foreigners

60% of the tourists in Moldova are from the country and only 40% of them come from abroad. The foreigners who visit Moldova prefer mainly the municipality of Chisinau. The data were provided by the NGO Association of Tourism Development in Moldova, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Association’s head Viorel Miron stressed that though 95% of the tourists come to Chisinau, over 80% of the tourist attractions are located in rural areas. Viorel Miron said there is no clear database about the tourists who visit Moldova’s sights. The travel agencies do not provide statistical data about the number of persons that use tourist accommodation facilities. The discrepancy between the official data and the real situation is explained by the fact that many of the tourists are not registered as such as they do not ask for accommodation. The Association of Tourism Development compiled its own rankings of the most popular tourist destinations in Moldova. The municipality of Chisinau is ranked first. It is followed by such wine routes as Milestii Mici and Cricova. The Moldovan monasteries are also popular. Currently, in Moldova there are 15 tourist routes, as opposed to over 120 in 1989. Viorel Miron said that tourism as any other sector needs determinant things to develop. The tourism industry needs a separate organization that would responsibly manage the allocated resources. The legislation on tourism should be improved so that the responsibilities are clearly delimited. Despite the shortcomings and the decrease in the volume of investments, the tourism sector has been revitalized during the last three years. The about 500 tourist camps are developed by persons who invest in tourism and recreational services or by the local public administrations, said Viorel Miron.