On September 10, 2026, the second meeting of the Chisinau Municipal Destination Management Committee (CMDTC) took place within the framework of the SUSDEST-NET project, co-funded under the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme, bringing together key stakeholders to advance sustainable destination governance.

The meeting was opened with welcome remarks by Deputy Mayor Mrs. Olesea Pșenițchi, who highlighted that “participation in this European program provides an extraordinary opportunity for international openness, the adoption of best practices, and the promotion of the tourism and cultural potential of the capital city, Chișinău.”

Following her opening address, context-setting remarks were delivered by Mr. Roman Vitiuc, Chief of the General Directorate of Economy, Trade and Tourism (DGECT), who emphasized the role of the SUSDEST-NET initiative in strengthening long-term local tourism development.

During the meeting, the main policy documents developed in relation to the Municipal Tourism Strategy 2022–2026 were addressed and analyzed.

Key Agenda Items & Highlights

The following key agenda items were discussed:

• Institutional Alignment & Destination Governance: The alignment of the Chișinău Tourism Development Strategy with standard institutional and regulatory requirements was thoroughly analyzed to ensure seamless governance across levels, covering key areas such as destination governance, tourism products, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), digitalization, financing, and sustainability.
• Evaluation & National Alignment: A core part of the session was dedicated to assessing existing achievements under the strategy and mapping them against a national-level matrix to ensure local actions correlate with Moldova’s broader national tourism objectives.
• Presentation of Draft Documents: Draft strategic framework documents were presented to the committee for review, followed by an interactive feedback session.
• Elevating Sustainability: A central takeaway from the deliberations was the consensus that sustainability must be elevated from a high-level principle into an operational management system integrated across all municipal tourism practices.

Conclusions & Next Steps

The session concluded with an agreement on actionable next steps, including refining the draft documents based on committee feedback and establishing clear performance indicators for sustainable management integration.

Through the SUSDEST-NET project, Chișinău continues to build a collaborative, forward-thinking framework designed to foster responsible tourism, protect cultural assets, and boost local economic capacity.