CC BY
15TOURISM AND RECREATION
THE ANALYSIS OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE EVOLUTION OF THE TOURISM SECTOR IN REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
PhD. Seinic V. V.
Republic of Moldova, Chisinau, State Agrarian University of Moldova,
Head of Tourism Department
Abstract. This article includes a brief overview of the administrative development of the tourism sector in Moldova for the 1990-2014 years, as well as conclusions and recommendations. The analysis of tourism sector in Moldova during 1990 - 2014, highlights a number of competitive advantages, positive trends and progress milestones.
Tourism sector is managed by a distinct national authority reported directly to the Government. Tourism Agency has its own College and is assisted by the Tourism Advisory Board. The basic bonds are public budget management for the needs of tourism development, promoted public policies in tourism are focused on domestic and inbound tourism development, increasing tourism image of the country and supporting local SMEs for economic diversification.
Since proclamation of independence, the tourism sector was considered, although confused, a prospective field of multilateral effects: economic and social both in urban and rural areas. Authorities promote tourism development to enhance the positive image of the country, attracting visitors to it, improve Moldovan hospitality, border and bilateral cooperation. Republic of Moldova has a number of comparative advantages which can boost the development of the tourism industry: the low cost of labor and land, the existence of tourism resources with national and regional value, touristic offer is not sufficiently diversified and does not cover important market segments, national promotion of a clear quality service and classification of tourist accommodation units, launching a set of measures for the development of national tourism areas.
During 25 years of independence, tourism sector is developing without a clear and thorough vision. These competent bodies which led to Moldova's tourism sector since 1990 have managed it in the absence of any policy focused on strategies that evolve over time. Therefore, all this time, the competent authorities in tourism development have developed policies and contradictory strategies to the functioning of the sector.
The tourism sector has been and is managed over the years by ministries and then reports directly to the Government. In the evolution of institutions for Tourism of the Republic of Moldova still are several management steps of the tourism sector. Thus, during the period 1990-1992, as administrator of Moldovan tourism we have the Department of State for Tourism of Sovietic Socialist Republic Moldova. According to the Sovereignty Declaration of Moldovian Sovietic Socialist Republic and given the established state tourism department, in order to improve the structure of direction and coordination of tourist activity in the Republic, Government MSSR decided to suspend the action of the State Committee of the USSR order for outbound tourism from July 5, 1989 No. 224 "on the establishment of the Association of Moldavian SSR of" Goscominturist " USSR and to form the National Tourism Association" Moldova-Tur " based on structural units of the Association" Goscominturist " of the USSR. This period is characterized by the opening of the first private economic entities - tourism companies, is created the International Association for tourism and exchange in Moldavian SSR "Bessarabia Tour", starts the wave of privatizations of institutions in the tourism industry.
The next phase 1992 - 1994 tourism management has composed of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Tourism. During this period occurs subordination of the National Tourism Association "Moldova-Tur" to Ministry of Youth, Sports and Tourism. In this period there were first statistical investigations in tourism and travel business licensing. Since 1992 a large part of the tourism industry goes from state property into private property as a result of privatizations. The statistical data for the period 1990 - 1994 presents the following situation shown in the table below.
Table
Statistics from the tourism industry in the years 1991-1994
Tourism agencies Employed staff Tourist, thousands incomes
1990 17 3987 386,8 82,3 million rub.
1991 32 3799 505,1 125,5million rub.
1992 121 3602 363,6 613,9 million rub.
1993 222 2821 140,4 2558,4 thousands cup.
1994 270 2522 52,1 9262,8 thousands lei
Sources: Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Moldova.
As shown in the table, number of economic operators within the tourism industry is skyrocketing from 17 travel companies in 1990 to 270 travel companies in 1994. The personnel involved in the tourism industry decreased from 3987 persons in 1990 to 2522 in 1994. In this period decreases and the number of tourists from 505,000 in 1991 to 52,000 in 1994, it is because that in the early years of independence in Moldova come tourists from former republics of the USSR, and since 1994 their number has drastically decreased.
At the initiative of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Tourism, Government of Moldova begin sign bilateral treaties in tourism with other countries. Moldova became a member of the World Tourism Organization in 1993.
The next period of Tourism Management is the period between 1995 - 1999 years, when one of the resort branch's directions was only the data management of the tourism sector evolution. In this first period has developed a concept for the development of the tourism sector by 2005 and prepared the first draft tourism law. We note that since the proclamation of Moldova's independence and until the adoption of the Tourism Law Nr. 798 of 11.02.2000, there was no basic legal act regulating tourism.
In 1996 to relaunch tourism industry, takes place formation of the initiative group for the creation of the National Association of Travel Agencies of Moldova. On November 5, 1996 Mircea Snegur issued a decree "On some measures to develop tourism in Moldova". Development and implementation of the project was entrusted to the Moldova Tour State Company, but the strategy developed by the respective body remains at project without government approval. In 1999 by decree of President P. Lucinschi is established as World Tourism Day to be celebrated in Moldova on September 27th. Another negative manifested factor in the tourism industry at that time, was the prevailing import export of tourists. Unfortunately, this trend is maintained today as in this period was a vague tourism industry statistic.
Table 2. Statistics from the tourism industry in the
years 1995-1999
Tourism agencies Employed staff Tourists, thousands receipts
1995 309 1177 104,1 18919,7
1996 362 1151 83 18625,9
1997 348 1248 56,2 18529,8
1998 270 1480 47,5 20949,8
1999 244 1796 50,2 25533,2
Sources: Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of M
oldova.
According to the table above situation in the tourism industry was: 309 travel agencies in 1995, their number dropped to 244 in 1999. Although the number of agencies decreases in the analyzed period, the employed staff number in the tourism industry increased from 1177 people in 1995 to 1796 in 1999. During the analyzed period decreases the number of tourists from 104 thousand in 1995 to 50 thousand in 1999. Although the number of tourists increase, receipts from tourism activity decreases from 18,919,700 in 1995 to 25,533,200 in 1999, this is due price raising for rendered services.
The next stage in the history of Moldovan tourism is the period 2000 - 2001 when take place first attempts to revive the tourism industry. By decision no. 872 of 08.22.2000 is decided the establishment of the National Tourism Agency(NTA) under the Government of Moldova. During this period some measures are taken for the tourism industry resuscitation:
• Licensing of tourist activity is transferred from the Ministry of Economy to NTA
• It is elaborated rules on the Register of Tourism
• It is approved the functions Nomenclature of Tourism
• The UNDP project "Sustainable Tourism Development in Moldova"
• Establishment of the Special Fund for Tourism Promotion and Development (2001)
• Marking the first tourist routes
• Develop web and tourism logo
Economic and financial situation did not allow Moldova to pay the membership fee to the WTO. Multiple warnings received from WTO aimed possible exclusion of the country from this international organization. In these circumstances, the Moldovan Parliament adopted Organic Law No. 530-XV from 10.11.2001 ratifying the Statute of Moldova's accession to the World Tourism Organization and empowers the Department of Tourism Development, a body of central public administration specialized in tourism, able to negotiate WTO for the rescheduling or cancellation of debt to pay 1993-2000 years membership dues. Also, by this organic law, Parliament obliges the Ministry of Finance to provide annually in the state budget the amount for payment of membership dues of Moldova to the World Tourism Organization.
At the end of 2001 the superior tourism organ passed to Department of Tourism Development, the body is maintained until 2005. In this period were taken a series of measures to develop tourism in Moldova:
• Elaborating Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy (2003-2015)
• Developing jointly with other ministries National Program "Moldovan Village" and "Wine Route" (2004)
• Creation of the National Center of retraining in the tourism industry (2004)
• Developing National Classification System in Tourism
• Improving national tourism statistics
• Opening of the first departments of tourism higher education institutions.
In 2005 the Ministry of Culture has merged with the Department of Tourism Development in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, once the merger begins a new stage of development of tourism in Moldova. Relevant activities of the new organ during the 2005-2009 operation was focused on three policies: 1. Adoption of laws and regulations, 2. Promote and develop domestic tourism, 3. Enhancing international cooperation in the field of tourism.
The Ministry of Culture successes in this period can include: drafting the Tourism Law (352 -XVI of 24.11.2006); Theoretical delimitation of powers and executive public policy in the field; Agency operation management of national tourist areas (2005-2009); operation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Advisory Board; creation of the commission to boost tourism development in rural areas; developing tourist routes in Moldova; visibility actions established tourist events "650 years of Moldova" and "World Tourism Day"; organizing the editorial activity in tourism; determining the priority directions of scientific research in the field of tourism; development of the model contract and the tourist voucher, etc.
In order creation and operation of National Tourist Zones, Agency for the Administration of National Tourist Zones was created in 2007, the body above named has prepared draft laws on the establishment of two national tourist zones: "Plai Orheian" and "Meleaguri Nistrene", with great regret, but projects were not implemented in practice because of the lack of a central government and funds. From ANTZ achievements we can include: development of the travel guide "5 national tourist routes" dedicated to the 650 years anniversary of the establishment of the first Moldovan state; elaboration of tourist areas development policies, ect.
In 2008 occurs founding Republican Council for the Rural Tourism Promotion. This council has drafted an action plan on the development of rural tourism forms, but unfortunately, the action plan was not implemented. According to the National Bureau of Statistics during the period 2000 -2008 it can be noted a decrease of travel agencies number from 314 in 2000 to 233 agencies in 2008,
staff number increased from 1538 people in 2000 to 2132 employees in 2005 and ncomes up a period lowering to 1531 employees in 2008.
Table 3. Statistics from the tourism industry in the years 2000-2008
Tourism agencies Staff employed receipts Revenue from tourists/day
2000 314 1538 45828,9 64$
2001 336 1904 60630,8 80$
2002 243 1972 98573,9 78$
2003 238 1927 145608,5 72$
2004 237 2086 181144,1 84$
2005 211 2132 228494,6 90$
2006 206 1840 282194,9 37$
2007 217 1840 412662,8 58$
2008 233 1531 529606,3 73$
Sources: Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of M oldova.
According to data in the table above receipts soared from 45,828,900 in 2000 to 529,606,300 in 2008. During the reported period income from tourists / day were floating $ 64 in 2000 to $ 90 in 2005 $ 37 in 2006 and $ 73 in 2008.
Period of 2009 - present, is characterized by continuous development and modernization of all aspects of management of the tourism industry. In early September 2009, it was created a new structure- Tourism Agency, which reports directly to the Moldovan government, and in 2010 approved by Government Decision No. 483, Members of Boards of Tourism Agency, this body is meant to approve and coordinate the main activities of this institution.
From this period we can note the folowing successes: internal use Regulation Tourism Agency; College Tourism Agency Regulation, Rules of participation in the exhibition booth of Tourism Agency; Regulation on the organization and functioning of the control department for declarations of income and property; Rules for the granting of classification documents of tourist reception units with functions of accommodation and catering; updating Tourism Strategy; operation Working Group to update the law tourism, guide, ect.
In order to promote the tourism potential of Moldova by Government Decision No. 376 of 26.05.2011 were organized several activities: Discover Touristic Moldova magazine launch; Tourism Fair "Discover Touristic Moldova"; informational tours for the diplomatic corps accredited in Moldova. During this period Moldovan Tourism Agency promotes tourism outside the country at various fairs, congresses, exhibitions, international meetings. Since 2013 Tourism Agency organizes the participation of Moldova with its own stand at international exhibitions in Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Japan, Turkey, Bulgaria. In 2014, in the strategy 2020, to boost tourism activity, were recovered 20 forms of tourism, divided into three categories: active forms of tourism at present; forms of tourism to be boosted; perspective forms of tourism. The expected forecast after impulsed tourism activity is estimated to increase by at least 3% annually within the inbound tourism and 4% annually within domestic tourism. In 2014 the Moldovan Tourism Agency took aim at the forefront of working with local authorities, the aim of this collaboration is to reanimate the tourism industry in the countryside.
At the initiative of the Tourism Agency in 2014 it was made a series of working meetings, which were aimed at improving the mechanism of statistical evidence.
According to data from the above table we see that the tourism industry develops in quick steps. The number of tourism companies increased from 266 in 2009 to 452 in 2013 and decreased to 430 in 2014, in the analyzed period increases the number of trained staff in the tourism industry from 1339 in 2009 to 1692 in 2014, revenues have increased from 456.502 lei in 2009 to 1,210,075 lei in 2014.
Table 4 . Statistics from the tourism industry in the years 2009-2014
Tourism agencies Employed staff Receipts Revenue from tourists/day
2009 26 1339 456502 49$
2010 313 1346 708079 52$
2011 399 1322 860026 70$
2012 443 1472 1597445 62$
2013 452 1286 1046078 65$
2014 430 1692 1210075 60$
Sources: Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of M oldova.
In conclusion we can mention that in the brief period of 25 years of activity, some components of the tourism industry have evolved, others have regressed, I declare the number of tourists and staff involved in the tourism industry decreased, but increased revenue and has improved the legislation. The main structure of the tourism industry of Moldova organizes regular public measures where are invited representatives of central and local government, civil society, media to inform on business results, and to collect the criticism, proposals, suggestions that would positively stimulate and influence the development of tourism industry in Republic of Moldova.
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