Over 400 tourist attractions from 13 districts, cities and municipalities of the Republic of Moldova, as well as two cultural-tourist routes, are now available on the SmartGuide mobile application. The platform was developed by a Czech travel-tech company and made available for Moldova as well. This was possible thanks to a project implemented by the Invest Moldova Agency, with support of the Czech Challenge Fund, managed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Through the SmartGuide application, various tourism service providers are now able to reach a broader audience and share their local gems with travellers worldwide. This approach not only benefits the local community by stimulating economic activity but also enriches the travel experiences of visitors to Moldova. It is estimated that the digital content created about Moldova will reach over 1,000,000 people, predominantly Western travellers.

“Working together on the digital travel guide project in Moldova has been a rewarding journey. The successful completion of this initiative also sets a new standard for digital tourism in the region,” said Jan Doležal, the CEO of the Czech travel-tech company SmartGuide, who implemented the digital travel guide project.

“This project has brought new opportunities into our tourism sector, as we can now showcase our heritage to a global audience. It's a win-win situation – our visitors get an authentic experience, and we get to preserve and promote our local heritage,” said Ion Iordachi, Deputy General Director, Invest Moldova Agency. 

To create the digital content, Invest Moldova Agency and SmartGuide representatives trained tourism service providers across the country. A month after its launch in Moldova, ten of the most active and popular tourist attractions received a 500 euros prize. 

“The Republic of Moldova is becoming more and more attractive to foreign tourists. Our country is getting closer to the point where it will take its well-deserved place among the top destinations in Eastern Europe. Our task is to focus exactly on those tourists who are looking for experiences that only we can offer. The digitization of the tourist potential of the Republic of Moldova is a priority for the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Moldova,” stated Andrei Chistol, Secretary of State, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Moldova. 

The SmartGuide initiative was awarded with US$39,758 from the Czech Challenge Fund, which is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme, and financially supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. So far, the Czech Challenge Fund has already supported 17 projects in Moldova.