- Conference Article
- 10.52449/soh23.42
The role of central and local authorities in the Republic of Moldova on the sustainable development of sports tourism
- Apr 01, 2025
- Mihail Onoi
Actuality. The tourism sector in the Republic of Moldova is growing in the context of a rather difficult period due to the economic and pandemic crises. This fact is due to the role of central and local authorities on sustainable development policies and strategies that have been and are being implemented for the development of tourism in the Republic of Moldova. Various forms of tourism can be practiced on the territory of the country, which, capitalized and supported by central and local authorities, can become the business card of domestic tourist destinations. One of these forms is sports tourism, which in recent years has acquired a special connotation, being more and more popular and with a significant increase. In this context, the central and local authorities collaborate in the perspective of the development of this form of tourism which, as demonstrated by the last sports events organized by the Republic of Moldova, are able to attract many athletes who are accompanied by both technical staff and microbiologists or close people that support them in their developments, a phenomenon that assumes that all those mentioned will use a range of tourist services on the territory of the Republic of Moldova (accommodation, food, transport, excursions, etc.), which will ensure their temporary stay in the area where the sporting event takes place . Purpose. Examining the contribution of central and local authorities in the sustainable development of sports tourism. Research methods. In order to carry out the study, there were applied methods that ensured the achievement of the established objectives, among them can be listed: the analysis of the specialized scientific-methodical literature, observation, methods of processing and quantitative and qualitative analysis of statistical data. Findings and results. The development of sports tourism can have a sustainable aspect if it is based on both economic and social and environmental objectives. Since sustainable development is a fundamental objective of the European Union, it must also be addressed in the field of sports tourism, and this fact is achieved by the central public authorities through the development of strategies for the development of the tourism sector, namely the Tourism Development Strategy in the Republic of Moldova between 2003 -2015, Tourism Development Strategy "Tourism 2020", National Tourism Development Program "Tourism 2026". All of them have a special role in the development of sports tourism, at each stage of this form of tourism being given a certain status and connotation depending on the developments on the international tourist market. In recent years, tourism at the local level has received significant attention from central and local authorities, the reason being the stimulation of the attractiveness of tourist destinations at the community level that can become a source of income for local budgets. In this context, at the local level, the authorities through various mechanisms try to develop the tourism sector depending on the existing tourism potential, the available infrastructure, but also within the limits of the existing financial sources. This fact required the creation of tourism development strategies, or sustainable, socio-economic and integrated development strategies in which a separate segment is dedicated to the tourism and sports sectors at district level, which set priorities for the development of various forms of tourism, including sports, as a form of tourism that can ensure the development of local communities, by: creating jobs, developing small and medium enterprises, etc. At the same time, they include a series of actions for the valorization of sports tourism, which are mostly focused on: the development of sports infrastructure, the promotion of tourism forms including sports, the holding of sports events, etc. According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), sporting events can be a catalyst for tourism development if they are successfully exploited in terms of destination branding, infrastructure development and other economic and social benefits. In the Republic of Moldova, in recent years, more attention has been paid to the development of the appropriate infrastructure to ensure the holding of sports events, but also the practice of various sports events, but there are still great reservations in this regard, especially since this is mainly in the capital and less at the regional or local level, and the development of sports tourism is not possible without a technical-material base and tourist destinations prepared for such a tourism form. In the last five years in the Republic of Moldova there has been an increase in sports buildings, and an example is the construction of the "Chisinau Arena" complex, which has already hosted a series of events attended by hundreds of athletes and spectators, and an eloquent one was the Championship European weightlifting among young people that brought together 346 athletes, but also members of their technical staff, as well as supporters. However, at the regional level, the local authorities try to develop this form of tourism within the limits of financial possibilities, by creating the necessary infrastructure that meets international requirements to be able to organize sports events that attract both athletes and their teams, as well as tourists who are interested in sports activities during their travels, regardless of whether sports is the main purpose of it. In addition to the precarious economic situation at the national level and at the regional level, in the last five years, the sports edifices register both slight increases in some structures and decreases in certain regional areas, a fact that highlights that the sports tourism sector is stagnant and does not contribute significantly to the development of local destinations. Conclusions and recommendations. As a result of the research carried out regarding the role of the central and local authorities in the Republic of Moldova in the sustainable development of sports tourism, it can be mentioned that they have elaborated development strategies, which assume the valorization of sports tourism for the economic development of local communities. In recent years, they have been reviewed and adapted to international requirements, and this fact is starting to bring economic benefits to the destination where the sports events take place (example: the European Weightlifting Championship in 2023). At the same time, at the local level, the authorities have well-established directions until 2026 regarding the development of sports tourism and its forms, such as: nautical tourism, aero tourism, mountaineering, etc. Not following the directions drawn, sports buildings at the national level do not register a significant improvement, and this fact endangers the development of sports tourism. Thus, it is recommended to develop a concept for the development of this form of tourism with an emphasis on the initial development of the areas where this form of tourism has real chances of development.
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