Representatives of APIT – Association of the Tourism Industry of the Republic of Moldova met with Minister of Culture Cristian Jardan and discussed the need to establish an Interministerial Committee for Tourism.
APIT President Sergiu Manea said tourism is a cross-sectoral field that involves culture, the economy, infrastructure, education, the environment, and external promotion.
“Tourism does not belong to a single institution. It operates at the intersection of multiple public policies. If we do not create a clear coordination mechanism, each institution will act separately, and the results will remain limited,” Manea stated.
He stressed that cultural tourism represents Moldova’s main competitive advantage and said authorities must keep the cultural dimension well integrated into the new sector architecture during the ongoing institutional reorganization.
“For the Republic of Moldova, heritage, traditions, wine culture, and local identity differentiate us. Without real interministerial coordination, we risk developing these resources in a fragmented way,” Manea explained.
An Interministerial Committee for Tourism would allow authorities to:
- integrate the cultural dimension into economic policies;
- harmonize investments in heritage and tourist destinations;
- ensure coherent development of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs);
- coordinate vocational training and tourism skills policies;
- align governance with European best practices.
“In most European countries, ministries coordinate clearly in the field of tourism. European integration requires not only legislative harmonization, but also modernization of institutional cooperation,” the APIT president added.
He also said the National Tourism Platform – Pact for Skills, recognized by the European Commission within the tourism ecosystem, stands ready to provide technical support for strengthening such a mechanism.
“We are not asking for formal structures for the sake of structures. We are asking for coherence. Tourism can become a real engine of economic development only if we coordinate cultural and economic policies,” Sergiu Manea concluded.