The number of visitors (tourists and excursionists) participating in tourism organized by travel agencies and tour operators last year increased by 5.6% on 2022 to 503,700 people. Outbound and domestic tourism held the largest shares, accounting for 72% and over 19%, respectively. Inbound tourism accounted for almost 9%, IPN reports.
The National Bureau of Statistics said that the number of visitors who benefited from the services of travel agencies and tour operators in 2023 grew by 33.7% compared to 2019, the last year before the pandemic.
2023 saw a 50.3% increase in the number of foreign citizens who visited Moldova through travel agencies compared to the previous year, constituting 43,600 visitors. The majority (93.4%) were day visitors who came for rest, recreation and leisure. The visitors from Romania made up 38.9% of total foreigners who came to Moldova, from Italy - 14.4%, from Ukraine - 14.0%.
Also, the number of tourists and excursionists who went abroad through travel agencies last year rose by 11.7% compared with 2022 to 362,400 people. Moldovan citizens preferred to visit mainly Turkey (47% of all those who went abroad), Bulgaria (18.9%), Egypt (10.6%), Romania (10.3%), and Greece (5.5%).
The number of visitors participating in domestic tourism decreased by 21% compared to 2022 and constituted 97,700. Most of them (73.8%) were day visitors (excursionists). The number of day trips increased by 9.4%. The Moldovan tourists’ stay in the country remained 11 days on average, as in 2022.
The receipts of travel agencies and tour operators last year increased by 865.3 million lei (+26.1%) against 2022.
