The coronavirus pandemic drove away the workforce involved in the hospitality industry to other areas, and the lack of hands was felt especially with the lifting of restrictions. As Chisinau returns to normality at a faster pace, in the countryside, however - where guesthouses, wineries, craft workshops and other points of attraction are mostly located - the situation is worse. This is what Natalia Țurcanu, executive director of the National Association for Incoming and Domestic Tourism of Moldova (ANTRIM) talked about during an IPN debate on Chisinau’s freshly presented 2022-2026 Tourism Strategy.

“But the staffing problem existed before the pandemic as well. To fix this, we are currently developing, together with the Moldova State University, some studies, some continuous training courses to motivate graduates of the tourism specialty to enter the industry of receiving tourists”, said Natalia Țurcanu.

One solution could be dual education. “We intend to initiate discussions with the Ministry of Education and other related institutions in the near future to expand the number of key personnel trades - and it is not just those related to management - to be included in dual education. Businesses are very interested in the development of this type of education”, said the expert.

“We need good marketers, chefs, waiters, etc., who are aware of their role in shaping the hospitality industry. Because they are face to face with the tourist, they serve him, they have direct contact and the good impression that the tourist shares about the city of Chisinau or the Republic of Moldova when he returns home depends on them... In fact, it would be great if different institutions and different groups of people participated in forming a good impression about our country”, opined the expert

As for promotion activities, Natalia Țurcanu mentioned press tours and placement of information about Chisinau in the in-flight magazine of Air Moldova. In the August issue, there will be information about the National Wine Day and the wine sector, but also about the local gastronomy, which will also be found on the Wizzair flights, being accessible to more than 8 million passengers. “And if the information is contained in the on-board magazine, on social media, on the website visit.md, in brochures distributed at the border crossing, the capitalization of the information can lead to the person’s decision to organize a stay here”, said Natalia Țurcanu.

Developed by the Directorate of Economy, Trade and Tourism, with the support of the National Association of Incoming and Domestic Tourism of Moldova (ANTRIM) and experts in urban architecture and history, Chisinau’s 2022-2026 Tourism Strategy aims to identify the tourist, historical, human, social and economic potential and the opportunities for tourism development of Chisinau. The document is to be approved by the Chisinau Municipal Council.