Moldova to promote tourism at nine international fairs in 2027
The Republic of Moldova will promote its tourism offer at nine international trade fairs in 2027, as the number of foreign tourists staying in the country continues to rise.
Moldova to showcase its tourism offer across nine countries
The Republic of Moldova will have national pavilions at tourism exhibitions in Vienna, Madrid, Riga, Bucharest, Berlin, Paris, Rimini, London and Warsaw.
The National Tourism Office (NTO) has opened applications for representatives of the tourism industry interested in promoting the country at these international events.
The exhibitions will give tourism operators an opportunity to showcase a diverse range of products, including wine tourism, gastronomy, rural and cultural tourism, as well as leisure activities.
Travel agencies, professional associations, non-governmental organisations, public authorities and other organisations active in the tourism sector are eligible to apply. Applicants must have tourism packages promoting the Republic of Moldova and informational materials designed for international audiences.
The application deadline is November 20, 2026. The NTO will select participants in accordance with its regulations. If the number of eligible applications exceeds the available exhibition space, priority will be given on a first-come, first-served basis.
Applications can be submitted online, while the participation regulations are available on the NTO website.
Foreign tourist numbers rise by almost 25%
The number of foreign tourists staying in the Republic of Moldova increased significantly in the first half of 2026.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), tourist accommodation establishments recorded 257,300 visitors between January and June, up 15.8% from the same period in 2025.
Of these, 159,600 were foreign visitors, representing a 24.7% increase year on year. The remaining 97,700 were residents of the Republic of Moldova.
Ukrainian citizens accounted for the largest share of foreign tourists staying in the country, at 39.5%, followed by Romanian visitors at 20.8%.
Other significant groups came from 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%).
Chișinău remained the country's main tourism accommodation hub, accounting for approximately 75.2% of all visitors registered at tourist establishments.
Travel agencies report modest growth in inbound tourism
Separate NBS figures covering visitors served by travel agencies and tour operators provide another picture of inbound tourism.
Through these services, the Republic of Moldova received 38,600 foreign visitors in the first half of 2026, an increase of 4.2% compared with the same period last year.
Romania accounted for the largest share of visitors arriving through organised tourism services, at 69.3%, followed by Italy (10%), Spain (5.2%) and Germany (2.9%).
Turkey remains the top destination for Moldovan holidaymakers
Between January and June 2026, a total of 141,700 Moldovan citizens travelled abroad through travel agencies, down 3.2% from the corresponding period in 2025.
Turkey remained the most popular destination, accounting for 36% of all travellers using agency services. Egypt ranked second at 19.8%, followed by Bulgaria (13.7%) and Romania (12%).
Greece attracted 4.7% of travellers, while Hungary and Italy each accounted for 1.9%.
Holidaymaking and leisure accounted for 99% of outbound travel through agencies. The average stay abroad was 6.2 days.
Domestic tourism also gains ground
Interest in travelling within the Republic of Moldova also increased during the first half of 2026.
Travel agencies served 49,800 visitors in the domestic tourism segment, up 11.1% year on year. Of these, 10,800 were tourists, while 39,000 took part in excursions.
Meanwhile, travel agencies and tour operators generated nearly 1.9 billion MDL in revenue during the first six months of 2026, an increase of 9.3% compared with the same period last year.
Most of this revenue came from organising trips abroad.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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