The city breaks or mini-vacations in urban places become increasingly popular with Moldovan tourists. Some of the travel agencies last year witnessed a 20%-40% growth on this segment. Cities in Romania, Italy, France, Turkey, Greece, Austria or Spain are the most popular destinations.
Contacted by IPN for details, Mariana Grajdeanu, manager of the travel agency Panda Tur, said the mini-vacations in the Ukrainian cities Odessa and Lvov and in the Romanian cities Brasov and Sinaya are very popular. A two- or three-day vacation costs €39 to €169 a person and includes accommodation, transport to and from by bus, guide services and health insurance. As regards the accommodation, most of the Moldovan tourists chose three-star hotels.
Besides city breaks, there are also weekend excursions. Among the most popular destinations inside the country are Orheiul Vechi and the Curchi Monastery. During school vacations, students choose to travel to Soroca-Cosăuți. A trip to this designation costs up to 200 lei. Panda Tur also provides excursions that start in Moldova and then continue in Iași and Cheile Bicazului of Romania for a day.
According to Dina Cepoi, City Break manager, regardless of the season, the Moldovans tend to know the world. The weekend excursions are preferred by those who want to get rid of the daily routine in cities like Rome, Venice, Milan, Istanbul, Barcelona or Paris. There are many clients who reserve the next city break on their return.
The price of a ticket starts from €209, for example for Venice, and from €356 for Barcelona, per person. The trip includes a four-night stay, breakfast, round-trip plane ticket from Chisinau or Iași and health insurance. Most of the Moldovans prefer three-star hotels. Compared with the previous years, the number of tourists who opt for such vacations in 2018 rose by about 20%. New plane routes with attractive prices are provided annually. The popular destinations the previous years can cost more this year.
Voiaj International commercial manager Victoria Josan said among those who prefer city breaks are families with children who choose cities with recreational centers. The Moldovans prefer short day flights, mainly direct ones, but also connections, when these are cheaper. Amsterdam and Istanbul, where tulip festivals take place, are in demand in April. During the winter holidays, the Moldovans choose cities where they can see light shows, famous Christmas trees, winter bazaars and others. The Moldovan tourists do not choose luxurious hotels as they rather aim to see something new.
“We noticed that the number of those who opt for city breaks is on the rise. Compared with the previous years, the demand for such trips at our agency rose by 30-40%,” said Victoria Josan, noting an increasing number of tourists choose offers that include cultural activities.
