Tourism in the Republic of Moldova grew in the first half of 2026, with accommodation facilities hosting 257,300 tourists between January and June, up 15.8% compared with the same period last year, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, bani.md reports.
Foreign visitors accounted for the majority of the total. Some 159,600 tourists, or 62%, were non-residents, while 97,700, or 38%, were Moldovan residents. The number of foreign tourists increased by 24.7%, while domestic tourism grew by 3.6% year-on-year.
Hotels and motels attracted the largest number of visitors, hosting 177,100 tourists, including 135,400 foreigners. The number of guests in these facilities increased by 23.9% compared with the first half of 2025.
Tourist and agro-tourist guesthouses also recorded growth, accommodating 31,000 visitors, up 10.9%. Health and wellness facilities hosted 12,900 tourists, an increase of 7.3%.
At the same time, some accommodation categories saw declines. Visitor dormitories, hostels, apartments and rented rooms registered 2,800 tourists, down 15.9%. Tourist resorts, including villas and holiday villages, recorded a 9.7% decrease, to 23,200 visitors.
Ukraine and Romania top the list of foreign tourists
Ukrainian and Romanian citizens made up the largest shares of foreign visitors.
- Ukraine — 39.5%
- Romania — 20.8%
- United States — 3.5%
- Italy — 3.4%
- Germany — 3.3%
- Türkiye — 2.7%
- Israel — 2.2%
- Poland — 2.2%
- United Kingdom — 1.9%
The number of overnight stays also increased. Accommodation facilities recorded 679,900 overnight stays in the first six months, up 4.6% year-on-year. Residents accounted for 400,200 overnight stays, while foreign visitors accounted for 279,600.
Hotels and motels recorded the largest number, with 301,000 overnight stays, up 9.5%. Wellness facilities registered 177,000 overnight stays, an 8% increase, while tourist and agro-tourist guesthouses recorded 49,100, up 2.8%.
By contrast, overnight stays in tourist resorts fell by 21%, to 41,300.
Chișinău dominates Moldova’s tourism sector
The capital remained by far the country’s main tourism destination, accounting for 75.2% of all tourists accommodated in Moldova.
The Central region accounted for 14.7%, followed by the South with 5.2%, the North with 4.2%, and Gagauzia with 0.7%.
The country’s accommodation capacity also increased slightly, reaching 79,000 bed places, or 1% more than a year earlier. The strongest growth was recorded among tourist and agro-tourist guesthouses, where capacity increased by 12%, and hotels and motels, where it rose by 8.4%.
Despite the increase in tourist numbers, the average length of stay fell from 3.9 to 3.6 days. Residents stayed an average of 5.1 days, compared with 2.8 days for foreign visitors.
Meanwhile, the average occupancy rate of accommodation facilities reached 28.4%, 1.3 percentage points higher than in the first half of 2025. The highest occupancy was recorded in visitor dormitories (67.2%), followed by wellness facilities (50.2%) and hotels and motels (29%).