LocationsFrom restoration to inclusion in tourism routes
Cultural heritage - a cornerstone for sustainable tourism and trust building in Moldova
August 6, 2025
Photo: UNDP Moldova
We invite you to exercise your imagination. Think of some countries where history comes alive and attracts waves of tourists. France, Scotland, the Czech Republic and Poland are just some of the countries demonstrating how historical sites such as fortresses and castles are becoming engines of tourism and economic development. Ruins are being brought back to life, respecting authentic architectural features so that visitors can imagine what life was like back then. And if as a tourist we like to explore such vestiges when we discover a new country, how about rediscovering the Republic of Moldova through such experiences?
That's why, together with civil society partners, we have undertaken an inventory of all the cultural and historical heritage sites along the Nistru River. On a common map, we re(discovered) 1058 tourist attractions on the right bank and 810 on the left bank. We were amazed.
Restoring cultural heritage - the key to a unique tourism product
Many of these cultural and historical heritage sites have the potential to boost the economy of some localities.
How? By restoring, preserving and promoting cultural and historical sites, a more attractive and diversified tourism product is created. It can position the country as a competitive touristic destination, attracting more visitors and generating widespread economic benefits.
How exactly? Through restoration and conservation, cultural sites become central points of routes that include other local attractions (such as hiking, gastronomy, cooking workshops and other local experiences). This encourages tourists to spend more time in the region and consume more services. Similarly, new jobs are created around these attractions (guides, maintenance staff, artisans, traders, shopkeepers) generating a sense of belonging and a direct benefit for the inhabitants, ensuring the development of the locality and the sustainability of tourism.
Based on this approach and the experience of other countries such as Cyprus, in January 2020, together with the European Union, we decided to find the cultural heritage sites that are most appreciated by people on both banks. Thus, we launched a competition inviting people from communities on both banks of the Nistru River to propose sites that they would like to see restored and/or preserved. Out of 248 proposals, a panel of local and international experts chose 30 sites which were put to an online vote. With more than 37,000 votes - the result of a collective awareness-raising effort - 12 cultural heritage sites on both banks of the Nistru River were selected, including two flagship projects: the Chișinău Circus and the Tighina (Bender) Fortress. They were subsequently restored to preserve their historical value, stimulating tourism and cooperation between the two banks of the Nistru.
The EU funds invested in the two flagship projects, namely the Tighina (Bender) Fortress and the Circus Building in Chișinău, amounted to more than €3.6 million. The restoration of the Tighina (Bender) Fortress, which dates back to the 15th century, has further increased the tourism potential of this historical landmark, which obviously contributes to the development of the local economy. After the first stage of restoration and conservation, the expansion of the tourist offer has contributed to almost doubling the total number of tourists visiting the left bank, from around 26,000 in 2022 to over 42,000 in 2024, while foreign visitors have increased fivefold, from 1002 to 5,532.
Connecting the dots: events, experiments, circuits
Restoration alone is not enough to attract tourists. That's why we supported the organization of cultural events on the premises of the Tighina (Bender) Fortress, which have since become iconic, have significantly increased the tourist potential of the fortress. Now, for the seventh consecutive year, it has become the meeting place for over 2000 spectators from both banks to enjoy together the cultural program of the Moldovan National Youth Orchestra.
The initiative to select and vote on cultural heritage sites - followed by conservation and restoration works, and complemented by joint cultural events - demonstrates how people on both banks can build bridges of trust, mutual understanding and cooperation between communities.
Just as the restoration of historic landmarks requires specific expertise, our team involved students in a paid internship where they could see the process ‘live’. Thus, eight young people from both banks had a rare opportunity to participate in the restoration works at the Tighina (Bender) Fortress. The young people learned from experts about practical restoration and conservation methods used internationally, including hands-on involvement in some of the conservation work carried out at the fortress. The experience of this internship was also an incentive to demonstrate that the profession of building restorer is more than a necessity. In the Republic of Moldova, young people cannot yet choose the profession of specialist restorer/conservation of architectural monuments. Such specialization can be obtained abroad, the closest destination being Romania.
We are now continuing this process with four other historical cultural heritage sites on both banks of the Nistru River.
We have communicated intensively about the restoration of cultural-historical sites, involved national and local partners in the process and we are glad that this approach is being further supported. Thus, recently, the Government of the Republic of Moldova approved a draft law that provides for more effective support for interventions on historical monuments and will encourage community and private sector involvement in heritage protection.
From a fractured community of practitioners to a platform for cooperation
A Cross-river Tourism Platform was established in 2022 to foster cooperation between both banks of the Nistru River and to integrate cultural heritage landmarks into cohesive joint tourist circuits. The Platform brings together more than 40 tourism specialists and organizations from both banks of the Nistru River. Recognizing that people are at the heart of every travel experience, the platform put human resource development in the centre of its activity - training and certifying 20 tourist guides from both banks. This not only enhances the quality of tourism services but also strengthens cross-river collaboration and mutual understanding.
The platform is instrumental in coordinating the interaction between the participants of the tourism market on both banks of the Nistru River (such as participation under a joint stand at thematic exhibitions abroad - Romania, Germany, etc., organization of mutual information visits on both banks for joint promotion of tourist destinations, elaboration of digital presentation materials of tourist units on the left bank for visibility and promotion).
The Tourism Platform contributed to the development of new tourism products, such as the Chișinău - Tighina (Bender) - Tiraspol tourist train. This initiative delivers dual benefits: it enables visitors to explore cultural and historical landmarks while directly supporting the growth of businesses along the route. Between 2023 and 2024, 6 inbound information tours were organized for approximately 150 national guides - an important step in informing and engaging local tourists, an often underutilized resource. Additionally, such activities as mapping and marking 2 tourist trails, cycling, hiking, etc., where tourists can discover the countryside and its authenticity - independently and safely - have further contributed to the growth of domestic tourism.
This journey has convinced us that cultural heritage is not only a treasured legacy of the past, but also a strategic pillar for sustainable tourism development and the strengthening of social cohesion. Coordinated efforts in restoration, conservation and promotion - carried out in partnership with local communities and supported by legislative and educational initiatives - demonstrate the true potential of heritage to generate economic, social and cultural benefits. Continuing these efforts will help transform heritage into a driver of regional development and to position the Republic of Moldova as an authentic and internationally competitive tourist destination.