In the tourism sector of Moldova, the boundaries between travel agencies and tour operators have become more blurred. Tourism industry managers point out that, although travel agencies traditionally sold packages created by tour operators, more and more of them choose to market their offers directly, thus diminishing the role of intermediaries. According to them, this change generates uncertainties regarding the long-term impact on the market, IPN reports.

Traditionally, tour operators are the ones that create tourist packages. They work directly with hotels, airlines, and local guides, negotiating prices and services to build full offers. Travel agencies, on the other hand, are the intermediary between tour operators and consumers. Their role is to sell these packages and offer advice to tourists, guiding them to the most suitable offers.

The direct sale of tourist packages by tour operators, without the intermediation of travel agencies, is criticized by some of their representatives, who claim that this affects their revenues and creates unfair competition.

"Travel agencies have to compete with their partners. We promote the packages of tour operators, but they sell them in parallel directly, sometimes at lower prices," explained a travel agency manager.

According to Law No. 352/2006 on the organization and conduct of tourist activity in the Republic of Moldova, both travel agencies and tour operators must be registered and comply with certain regulations in order to protect consumers' rights. However, the legislation does not stipulate clear restrictions on direct sales by tour operators, allowing them both to cooperate with travel agencies and to sell packages directly to customers.

One of the problems pointed out during the public consultations on the amendment of the Tourism Law is the lack of clear differentiation between travel agencies and tour operators in the certification process. Although their activities are distinct, both categories must meet the same accreditation requirements, which leads to confusion and difficulties in market regulation. According to industry representatives, a legislative clarification could contribute to a better organization of the tourism sector and more precise delimitation of the duties of each type of operator.

According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, travel agencies and tour operators in 2024 organized trips for 555,900 tourists and excursionists, up 10.4% compared to the previous year. Of these, outbound tourism had the largest share, with 396,900 people, followed by domestic tourism, with 91,300 people, and inbound tourism, with 67,600 people. These data suggest increased orientation towards international travel, while domestic tourism has seen a slight decline.