Small and medium-sized enterprises can get grants of up to 500 thousand lei for business development in tourism

Chisinau, 22 Sep. /MOLDPRES/- Small and medium-sized enterprises can get grants of up to 500 thousand lei (25 thousand euros) for business development in tourism. Applications for participation in the program can be submitted online to the Organization for Entrepreneurship Development (ODA) next week.

The program was launched today at a tourist guesthouse in Orhei, which has over 20 years of activity in the field, being the first tourist guesthouse created in our country.

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization Dumitru Alaiba said that last year the turnover in tourism exceeded 800 million dollars. "We want these numbers to grow, as do the number of tourists visiting our country. By helping a business, we help an entire village, we offer opportunities for the local economy to develop, for people to work and invest here, at home", he said.

EU Ambassador to Chisinau Janis Mazeiks said that the Rural Tourism Program is part of the EU project for a sustainable, innovative, ecological and competitive economy. "This project worth 8 million euros has seven components, it is financed by the EU and implemented by ODA. The program is a unique opportunity for SMEs from rural areas to implement new business ideas, to expand their own businesses and to create new jobs", he said.

ODA head Dumitru Pîntea said that the Program beneficiaries will get grants of up to 500 thousand lei, with a personal contribution of 30 percent of the project value. 

The money can be used for the accommodation and food facilities, the reconstruction of some buildings used for economic activity. Program beneficiaries can be companies operating in tourism sector or businesses in other fields, which will develop a new component in tourism.