Ukrainian tourists in Moldovan guesthouses outnumbered Romanian visitors
In the first half of 2026, accommodation units in the Republic of Moldova welcomed over 257,000 visitors, marking an increase of nearly 16% compared to the same period last year. Among these guests, 62% were foreign tourists, while the remaining visitors were local citizens enjoying their holidays at home.
According to data published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), citizens of Ukraine have become the largest group of non-resident visitors staying in specialized accommodations in the country, surpassing tourists from Romania.
The BNS reported that nearly 40% of foreign tourists who stayed in tourist accommodations from January to June 2026 were from Ukraine. Romanian citizens ranked second, accounting for 20.8% of non-resident visitors.
In comparison, during the same period last year, 65% of foreign tourists who stayed in the Republic of Moldova were from Romania, followed by those from Italy at 21.7%.
This year, hotels and guesthouses in the Republic of Moldova welcomed visitors from various countries, including the United States (3.5%), Italy (3.4%), Germany (3.3%), Turkey (2.7%), Israel and Poland (2.2% each), and the United Kingdom (1.9%).
In terms of accommodation preferences, hotels and motels were the most popular, with a nearly 24% increase in the number of guests. Additionally, tourist and agritourism guesthouses attracted over 10% more visitors than last year.
Rest facilities also saw a rise, accommodating 7.3% more tourists this year. In contrast, there were declines in several types of accommodations: visitor dormitories, hostels, and apartments or rooms for rent saw a 15.9% decrease, while other structures like tourist villas and holiday villages experienced a 9.7% decrease in tourists.
The territorial distribution indicates that the primary attraction remains the municipality of Chișinău, which accounts for over three-quarters of the country's accommodations. Meanwhile, 14.7% of tourists stayed in the Central region, 5.2% in the South, 4.2% in the North, and 0.7% in the Autonomous Region of Gagauzia.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reveal that, on average, tourists spent approximately three and a half days in accommodation facilities across the Republic of Moldova.
While foreign visitors tended to have shorter stays of around three days, local tourists preferred longer vacations, often exceeding five days, particularly in areas designated for rest and recovery.
