The Investment Agency participated as co-chairman in the 65 WTO meeting of the Commission for Europe 

The Investment Agency participated as co-chairman in the 65 WTO meeting of the Commission for Europe 

Protecting jobs, restoring confidence by the means of safety and security, collaborating with the public-private sector and opening the borders responsibly are the main global guidelines of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) for restarting the tourism sector. These were mentioned at the 65th UNWTO meeting of the Commission for Europe, which took place online on 25 June.The Republic of Moldova was represented by Rodica Verbeniuc, General Manager of the Investment Agency, as co-chair. 

The meeting brought together more than 300 members of delegations from more than 40 countries to discuss the impact of the pandemic on tourism and its consequences. 

Aziz Abduhakimov, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the State Committee for Tourism Development: “We must all join forces to overcome the current crisis in the tourism sector. Only this way we can achieve a sustainable development of the tourism industry during a pandemic. " 
During the meeting, the Investment Agency, as the promoter of authentic tourism, shared local tourism experiences in the pandemic crisis. These include the participation of the Republic of Moldova in the "Healing Solutions Tourism Challenge" campaign, as well as the support of the #TravelTomorrow Campaign, by participating in the "Tourism & Gastronomy" contest. 

Rodica Verbeniuc, General Director, Investment Agency: “It was a great honor to co-moderate the meeting. The Republic of Moldova has been a member of the UNWTO since 2002, but only last year we were elected to be part of the institutional governing bodies, which allows us to gain more visibility and be an active member. The pandemic crisis has brought new challenges for the tourism industry, generating an impetus to reform sector's activity strategy, leading to the reconceptualization of tourism products by aligning them with our consumers' expectations. 

At the same time, the meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Europe revealed 27 states good practices exchange, with the possibility to learn and harmonize their efforts. One of the lessons the pandemic taught us is the imperative need to coordinate steps with international partners, regional neighbors for the fastest possible interconnectivity. 

The Republic of Moldova adheres to UNWTO regulations, taking the guides as implementation manuals to ensure protected travel for domestic tourists, today, and for foreigners, tomorrow.” 

UNWTO reiterated its support for governments in developing policies to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on tourism and accelerate recovery, with UNWTO recommendations providing more than 100 practical actions in 23 areas for the three key phases of the crisis: mitigation, recovery and building the future. 

Several topics addressed at the meeting, as well as the comprehensive reporting of the MTO on its initiatives and activities in response to COVID-19 can be found here. 

Organizers expect the next meeting to take place in Uzbekistan. We mention that, at national level, the Investment Agency starts #NeamPornit campaign to relaunch the tourism, which continues with the hashtag # Protejati. It promotes and supports the gradual relaunch of domestic tourism by complying with the necessary protection measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Currently, 159 member states are UNWTO members. The Republic of Moldova has been a full member since 2002. And in 2018 our country, , was elected for the first time as a member of the WTO, as vice-president of the Commission for Europe.