For 20 years, from 2004 until now, Moldovan guesthouses, a practically non-existent tourism sector, managed to welcome almost 50,000 visitors, both local and foreign. In the last three years alone, the number of visitors has tripled compared to what it was before the pandemic. Last year, 391,000 people visited the Republic of Moldova, breaking the historical record of 2019, when 375,000 tourists were registered, said Veaceslav Ioniță, economic policies expert of the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives “Viitorul”, IPN reports.

Referring to Moldovans and foreign tourists lodged at tourist accommodation structures, the expert said that 305,000 people were registered there in 2005 and 317,000 people were logged in 2007. In 2009, the number of tourists decreased to 228,000, and by 2019 it increased to 375,000. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of visitors decreased, both quarterly and in annual value, declining to 75,000 in the first quarter of 2021. Gradually, the number of tourists increased to 391,000 in annual value, in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Last year, most of the foreign visitors who stayed in tourist accommodation structures in the Republic of Moldova were from Romania (39%). They are followed by tourists from Italy (14.4%), Ukraine (14%), Germany (5.3%), the U.S. (5.2%), Belgium (4.5%), France (3.3%), etc.

“The increase in the number of tourists encouraged people to make investments and create accommodations, far beyond the available capacity of tourists resting in the Republic of Moldova. We need to increase at least three times the number of visitors compared to those we currently have. The image of the Republic of Moldova as a tourist destination must be promoted, both for foreigners and especially for Moldovans. The Moldovans should have a greater interest in visiting the Republic of Moldova, then should expect foreigners to come,” said Veaceslav Ioniță.