Moldova Tourism Forum, the largest event dedicated to the field of tourism, took place on September 29 and 30. The Forum is the most important communication platform for industry members, public and private sector partners. Also, for the representatives of the international community involved in the development of the tourism sector.
The event was organized by the Investment Agency of Moldova, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, the National Association for Inbound and Internal Tourism (ANTRIM) and strategic partners USAID and Sweden.
Scott Hocklander, Head of the USAID Moldova Mission: “I believe that an industry, a sector like tourism should continue to develop, grow and innovate. It is important that all the key players are gathered in the same place, obviously here in Moldova. Also, expertise from around the world is needed, to know global trends, to understand how to present and sell Moldova. – I think that every time there are challenges at the global level and, of course, in the region, it is more important than ever to make sure that Moldova has the best thinking, the best ideas, to make sure that the sector continues to grow.”
The “A small country with a big heart” campaign was also a case study for repositioning Moldova on the global map.
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In recent months, the Light Industry and Tourism Competitiveness Support Activity (MCTA), an EDGE project in Moldova, funded by USAID, has implemented a series of programs to strengthen the resilience of the tourism sector in Moldova and its sustainable development.
The project implemented a grant program totaling 1,152 thousand US dollars.
The financial support was intended to support the activity of the National Association for Inbound and Inbound Tourism (ANTRIM), but also for micro, small and medium enterprises (IMMM) in rural areas, for the implementation of solutions to increase resilience, including energy efficiency and solutions based on renewable energy
Scott Hocklander, USAID Moldova Chief of Mission: I just want to reiterate how incredible the response of the tourism sector is to the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine and the refugee crisis. Practically all these hostels provided facilities, housed, fed and clothed the refugees. It was really an amazing story and I think it really showed what Moldova is. I think it was important for us to recognize all of these contributions and continue to look for ways to help these hostels continue to grow, to build resilience. We gave grants to 40 hostels to help them in different ways, we helped them have more renewable energy sources and more. It’s a way of making sure that the industry goes through a tough time and then also has the ability to grow and become more and more competitive in the future.