OREANDA-NEWS. May 27, 2011. In the I quarter of 2011 the services of tourist agencies and tour operators were used by 18,5 thousand tourists and sightseers, which is 46,2% more than during the same period last year. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the number of tourists and sightseers who went out of the country has increased by 43,7% as compared with the I quarter of 2010, visitors to Moldova - by 58.9%, number of participants in domestic tourism has also increased – almost by 50%.

Of 1,271 foreigners who visited Moldova in January-March 2011 by travel agencies and tour operators, 54.6% came for business and professional purposes, 39,9% - for recreation and leisure, 5,5% - for treatment. Most tourists came from Romania - 16,5%, followed by: Russia - 11,3%, Ukraine - 9%, USA - 8,4%, Sweden - 7.8%, Turkey - 6.5%, Italy - 5,7%, Bulgaria - 4.3% United Kingdom - 3.2%, France - 2,7%, Germany - 2,2%, Israel - 2%, Poland - 2%.

Through travel agencies and tour operators in the I quarter of 2011 10.97 thousands of tourists and sightseers went abroad, which is 43,7% more than in the same period of 2010, most Moldovan tourists went abroad to rest and leisure ( 93,4%). Most Moldovans went to Romania - 37,6%, followed by: Bulgaria - 21,4%, Egypt - 8.9%, Turkey - 8.9%, Ukraine - 4,5%, Austria - 3.6% , UAE - 2,9%, Ukraine - 1,6%, Poland - 1,3%. Number of participants of internal tourism in January-March 2011 amounted to 6.2 thousand people, an increase of 48,2% compared with the previous year.