Unfulfilled Potential – Tourism Development in the Republic of Moldova

Abstract

This contribution sheds light on the Republic of Moldova, explores the development of tourism and examines the conditions, initiatives and events that favoured tourism in the country. The small Eastern European country, situated between Romania and Ukraine, suffers, in spite of  a  recently increased interest in Eastern Europe as a whole, either from a lack of attention or, here and there revealed,  limited knowledge on the part  of Western European or German observers. This article will commence by offering some key facts about Moldova, including some curiosities, its political and economic situation, as well as the all-too-well-known break-away region of Transnistria. Second, it will provide an overview of the main sights in the country, not with the ambition of serving as a tourist guide but with the objective of providing testimony to the fact that Moldova is a country that has plenty to offer for tourists. Third, the piece will analyse the development of tourism in the last ten years and offer an overview of national, EU and international initiatives aimed at creating a thriving tourism sector in Moldova. The article will end with concluding remarks and some perspectives on future development in the tourism sector. It is argued that while Moldova’s potential as an attractive tourist destination remains largely untapped, more recent figures demonstrate that the country has embarked on the right path. Continued efforts are needed, however, to build on the progress made.

This whole stretch of land along the Dniestr River is one of the most fertile I have ever seen. The grass grows so high that one can barely see the grazing herds. The air is pure and healthy, and the landscapes are unforgettable. Gardens and crops, walking birds and fish of all kind, in few simple words, everything that includes nourishment is abound. Nothing is missing but inhabitants to relish these magnificent assets of nature.

(Sumarokov 1800, p. 230).