Decreasing number of Moldovan tourists last year is explained by the price increase to hotel services of Romania and Ukraine

Independent experts of tourism branch, suppose that the decrease last year of the number of travels abroad of Moldovan tourists and visits of foreign tourists in the country is due mainly to price increase to hotel services of neighbouring countries and non-stimulating policies promoted by Moldovan authorities. According to data of the National Bureau of Statistics (BNS), in 2005 there were registered, via the travel companies, 57,200 travels abroad of Moldovan tourists, representing with 15.6% less than in 2004. In the same time, over 25,100 visits of foreign citizens to Moldova were noted, with 3.7% less than in 2004. According to experts, in Romania the prices have increased with 30%, and in Ukraine with 50%. Though in Bulgaria the prices to hotel services have decreased with 5-7%, tourist inflow that gave up the Romanian seaside did not direct towards the Bulgarian one because of additional expenses for visa and transport. These are the main countries towards which the Moldovan tourist inflow is directed, as now to get tourist visa to European countries is difficult because of labour force exodus. It is considered that the results of the activity of travel companies were influenced as well by the fact that the state involved last year in giving by air companies of charter flights to Turkey only for the company „Sky-Aliance”. Thus, the other travel companies were in difficulty, being forced to by flight tickets to Turkey via Sky-Alliance, at a higher price. It also mentioned that a problem of decreasing the number of tourists to Moldova would be the price of about 70 dollars for visa, which is rather high for a country as Moldova. In the same context, it has to be noted the low level of country’s infrastructure, low number of sightseeing, new investors. A negative impact as well had the low level of the legislation in force that is against the activity of travel companies. Inclusively, the provisions, which set that all the employees of the travel company have to have category licences of their position, and have to attend, recycle vocational courses and to renew their licences once in three years, activity for which they have to pay 3,000 lei. la trei ani. If compared to an academic year that costs, for example, at USM about 4,500 lei, for a licence, the employees of the company are obliged to pay 850 lei, and for recycling courses – over 2,200 lei only for a month of studies. In the same time, periodical controls, very often unmotivated, which the travel companies have to face, also decrease their activity. It was highlighted as well that at declarative level, government wants to promote the tourism, in reality nothing is done, and the rumour about the implementation of a new law of tourism, totally unfavourable for the activity of travel companies, could determine them to organise protest actions. According to a recent economic survey of the agency Info-Prim Neo, regarding the activity of travel companies, the manager of the travel company Canonic Tur, Mihai Cealicov, said that it is needed a state policy in tourism area, which would revise visa system for foreigners, allot resources for rebuilding the roads; give allowances for businessmen wishing to invest in tourism. In the same time he also considered necessary some ample actions of tourism promotion during different exhibitions, as well as actions of improving state’s image in general, especially solving the Transnistrian conflict, which affects negatively country’s image. According to BNS data, regarding the decreasing number of students coming and leaving the country, the head of the Tourism Development Department within the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Gabriela, Burlacu, mentioned that these data area real. The head of the Statistical and Marketing Department, Maria Popusoi, said as well that without an official letter addressed to minister, they could not comment the data. The spokeswoman of the ministry, Rodica Borzin, also required an official letter, fact that is against the statements of the prime minister, Vasile Tarlev who have guaranteed that the spokesmen of governmental institutions would reply operatively to mass-media requests. At the same time, we were reported that BNS data did not get to the ministry, and it could take some days till the agency would get them.