Dozens of representatives in the field, ambassadors and tourism promoters were awarded at the Moldova Tourism Forum 2021. The initiative aimed to motivate and support them, as they managed to launch businesses and promote tourism nationally and internationally, despite the pandemic challenges.

The latest statistics underline a decrease by about 70% compared to 2019 of the number of foreigners who visited our country in 2020. However, the good part is that during this pandemic year 10 new pensions and agro -pensions have launched and relaunched, 8 wineries have opened tourism services, three new adventure tourism routes have been launched, and 60 percent of the Moldova Competitiveness Project beneficiaries have announced revenues of 70% compared to the same period of the 2019 fiscal year.

Rodica Verbeniuc, General Manager of the Investment Agency: “Our entrepreneurs have proven to be resilient and have managed to turn restrictions into opportunities. The courage, boundless energy and hard work they put in to run their businesses contributed to the sector restructuring, which became multifarious, competitive and ready for the next stage, to receive international visitors when international traffic will be restored ”.

New businesses launched in the pandemic year, entrepreneurial initiative and the way they managed to adjust the tourist offer and adapt it to the new realities offering innovative solutions and digitizing tourist services were the criteria the jury based on in their winner selection decision.

The president of the National Association for Tourism Receiver from the Republic of Moldova, Victoria Bucătaru, stated that the awards gala must become a tradition every year to motivate people in the field of tourism.
"The decision was difficult because there was a fairly large list of newly launched affairs and we had to select only the top three. Those who were awarded deserve great respect because in a pandemic year, after a long time of hard work, efforts and challenges, they managed to launch and are now waiting for their tourists." 

“We offer our unconditional support  and are proud of our tourism representatives, who, regardless of difficult times and challenges, choose to invest, promote and attract national and international tourists to wonderful destinations in Moldova, "said Victoria Bucataru.

Tourist brands: Casa Veche Pension, Honey Mansion, Meșter Faur Pension, Mircești Winery, Tudor Winery, Leuntea Vin, Fuior Gourmet, Gastromarket & Cáfe and Marcu Bakery were awarded at the Top 2020 launches category .
The representatives were given a voucher worth 5,000 lei to develop promotional materials and increase their rating among tourists who choose the Republic of Moldova as their destination.

Pavel Țăranu, founder of the “Meșter Faur” Pension: “Since our pension opened its doors, we have hosted thousands of tourists, starting with local ones to tourists from Japan, Iceland and the USA. Now we just want the flow of tourists to return as before the pandemic, because they are always welcomed.

The vlogers who promoted local tourism such as Alex Bred, Roman Rybaleov, Vladimir Carmanov were also awarded. At the Top Innovative Projects category were awarded: Teleport Travel, Visit.md, RUNdemia and My Wine, and special prizes were given to Decanter Wine shop & Cafe, SUP Moldova, RockScor Brewery.

Alex Bodilev, director of the artistic production, Moldova: A place To find yourself, Angela Brașoveanu, author of the traditional dishes recipes anthology, the only book of this kind,  Dumitru Potapov, the artist who made the mural # NeamPornit under the Telecentru bridge, Veronica Tomescu, host of the international Winelovers event, Vadim Șterbate, author of the guide “99 tourist attractions in the Republic of Moldova, but also the photographer Roman Friptuleac, whose pictures are set out in the country's tourist brochure, turned out to be the most devoted ambassadors of tourist Moldova.

The partners in this field such as the National Association for Inbound and Domestic Tourism, the National Association of Tourist Guides in Moldova, the Employers' Association of the Tourism Industry in the Republic of Moldova were also awarded for their impact on the tourism industry in the Republic of Moldova.

Moldova Tourism Forum, organized for the first time by the Investment Agency of the Republic of Moldova, together with the strategic partner USAID Moldova, linked together over 75 speakers from 15 countries, but also over 400 registered people from countries such as South Korea, Mexico, Thailand, Canada, Norway, Turkey, Italy, Ukraine, Romania.

The event was supported by the Moldova Competitiveness Project, funded by USAID Moldova, the Government of Sweden and the United Kingdom.

* More photos from the event can be downloaded from the link below.