Four new tourist routes likely to connect both banks of Dniester River with EU support

Chisinau, 5 October /MOLDPRES/-  Four new tourist routes could connect the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, promoting tourism in the Dniester river basin at European level. This is the main conclusion of a recent round table, which brought together in Orhei, in hybrid format, over 20 representatives of profile associations and tour operators from our country and Ukraine.

The event, entitled "Sustainable tourism as a driving force for regional development: the experience of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine", was organized with the support of the European Union Program "Confidence-Building Measures", implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), which contributes to strengthening trust between the inhabitants of the two banks of the Dniester River, by involving them in joint development projects.

Each of the four new routes has a distinct theme and will connect the Republic of Moldova, including the region on the left bank of the Dniester and Ukraine. 

"We are pleased that through the EU's Confidence Building Measures Program, implemented by UNDP, our local partners, who join the roundtable, both offline and online, have paved the way for a platform for collaboration, not just between the two sides of the Dniester River, and in a wider regional context. A common tourist space will be created, which will generate more opportunities in the Dniester river basin, through the management of this tourist destination ", said Giuseppe Paglione, program manager at the European Union Delegation in the Republic of Moldova.

A platform for continuous dialogue between industry representatives and regulators from both countries is to be created, in order to ensure mutually beneficial conditions for the development of the tourism sector in the Dniester River basin, including in order to improve the regulatory framework needed to streamline the movement and attracting tourists.

"Generating competitiveness and sustainability of tourist destinations, this should be the right approach. It is also good to involve the residents and the local community in the management of tourism and the decision-making process, subsequently its implementation in a truly public - private - community approach ", mentioned Ivan Liptuga, President of the National Tourism Organization of Ukraine .

The participants in the round table signed a resolution, which stipulates the commitment to promote common routes, the creation of tourist information centers, the expansion of international funding sources, mutually clear and transparent conditions for the movement and finding of foreign tourists - necessary elements for the development of a sustainable tourism in the Dniester river basin.

The round table was organized in partnership with the Center for Information and Promotion in the Field of Tourism of the Republic of Moldova, the Agency for Investment and Development, the National Tourism Organization of Ukraine.

Photo: UNDP