In the new reality configured by the COVID-19 pandemic, the travel agencies in Moldova have to adjust their tourist packages to the local demand. The adjustment of the tourist offers by including the new safety measures that enable to make trips was the main subject discussed in the webinar “Pill after COVID-19. Responses to Challenges Faced by Internal Tourism” that was held on the initiative of the Investment Agency together with the National Inbound Tourism Association of Moldova, IPN reports.
In the event, Investment Agency director general Rodica Verbeniuc said the epidemiological situation in the country is uncertain and there is no stability. “We all went through the rethinking of strategies. As the tourism industry in our country centered mainly on the inbound and outbound tourism, we reconsidered the pandemic crisis as an opportunity to come with systemic support for revitalizing domestic tourism. Within the nationwide campaign #NeamPornit (We Got Started), we worked out instruments in support of tourism agencies and tourism service providers so as to update the products, adjust them to the preferences and possibilities of our citizens, generating increased internal consumption,” stated Rodica Verbeniuc.
“Magenta Consulting” presented the results of the nationwide survey carried out during the campaign #NeamPornit, with emphasis on the expectations of the citizens, real demand and opportunities in domestic tourism. The study showed that 71% of the Moldovans are interested in visiting national tourist destinations, while two in three respondents prefer active rest. The survey involved over 2,000 respondents aged between 25 and 55.
“Magenta Consulting” director Dumitru Slonovschi said this is a complex study that has interesting conclusions for travel agencies. “For example, 56% of the respondents have children and are thus interested in trips with activities for kids. A large part of them do not have cars and the travel agencies can provide transport for them. Many don’t know where they can travel in Moldova and consider there is nothing they can visit here. Emphases should be thus placed on information and advertising,” noted Dumitru Slonovschi.
Alexandrina Banari, of the travel agency “Visit Moldova”, said they suggest to the tourists different activities, such as kayaking on the Nistru, riding, trips to the Codri forest and camping in areas with inclines and rocks. “All these activities are combined with trips to wineries, museums or pensions so that the local tourists have a complex, interesting and memorable program,” she stated.
“Azbuca Travel” is the only travel agency that oriented to virtual trips accompanied by stories and legends typical of the presented locations. Fyodor Evstigneev, of the agency, said the people are ready to pay for a unique experience that would reveal a new Moldova and would offer meaning and context to the visited sites.
The nationwide campaign #NeamPornit was launched at end-April by the Investment Agency, which is the development partner of the tourism sector that promotes Moldova as a tourist destination with authentic and unexplored experiences.
