Occupancy rates in agro-, eco- and rural pensions are under 20% overall, whereas in the summer they increase to an acceptable 40%, which means that the seasonable factor is the biggest weakness of rural tourism, says economist Veaceslav Ionita of the think-tank IDIS Viitorul.

During the autumn and winter occupancy rates drop dramatically to 7-11%, which translates to a loss of 15,000 visitors each year.

“Our pensions haven’t yet developed a concept to attract visitors in winter. This should be one of the main concerns for those looking to promote rural tourism in Moldova”, says Ionita, adding that this industry has very good development outlooks in our country.

The pattern now for rural tourism vacations are brief one- or two-day city breaks, with visitors tending to become permanent clients. About 9 in 10 visitors are Moldovans.