Tiraspol, 28 May. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. Pridnestrovie has become an attractive place for tourists. This is confirmed by guides. This is proved by the number of foreigners coming to us in search of remarkable sights. Standing out in the crowd, people with heavy backpacks and cameras have become frequent visitors here.
So what interesting can Pridnestrovie offer to its foreign guests? Why should those who have yet to visit us pay attention to a small country on the banks of the Dniester? News Agency "Novosti Pridnestrovya" together with the guide of the tourist project "Transnistria Tour" Andrei Smolensky is seeking answers to these questions.
No visas. You don't need a visa to come to Pridnestrovie. You just fill in a migration card. And you don't have to return it on your way back.
Another reason to visit the PMR, according to Andrey Smolensky, is a rich concentration of the Soviet history in a small territory. Among the variety of tours, foreigners often choose "Soviet" and "Classic".
" The 'Soviet tour' includes Tiraspol and Bendery. We show and speak about monuments to Lenin and Gagarin, the Drama Theater and the House of Soviets, that is, about the legacy that has been preserved. And it does arouse interest. During the "Classic Tour", we go deeper into history. We visit the Bendery Fortress, Kitskan Bridgehead and Kitskan Monastery. I'm jokingly calling it the 'small Pridnestrovian circumnavigation', " said the guide.
Andrey Smolensky (left) with a German tourist (right)
The tour "From north to south" is also popular. Tourists are invited to travel from Tiraspol to Kamenka; then visit the villages of Rashkovo, Katerinovka, Gidirim, and then get to know Rybnitsa, Dubossary and Grigoriopol. Guests have the opportunity to see in one day the beauty of the Pridnestrovian region, its cultural identity.
Cultural diversity is a good reason to visit our country. Pridnestrovian hospitality, which has absorbed the features of the Moldovan, Ukrainian and Russian peoples, awaits those who will choose our region as a place to travel.
Culinary tourism is also popular among foreign guests, and Pridnestrovie has something to treat a hungry tourist. You can buy natural products in our markets. You will be treated to mamalyga, platsindas, bortsh, pelmeni and, of course, home-made wine.
"One of the reasons why people come here is the unique political status of Pridnestrovie. They feel curious and interesting. You can even come up with a slogan: 'Have time to visit Pridnestrovie until it is recognized.' Of course, this is ironic because we want recognition," said our interlocutor.
What kind of tourists comes to us?
Reasonable prices, pleasant climate, peaceful nature. The list of reasons why it is worth visiting Pridnestrovie can be expanded. The fact remains that the incoming tourist flow is growing, which has been confirmed by the guide. The project, by the way, has existed since 2011. Andrey Smolensky told us about those who have already visited us, about their impressions and opinions.
"Pridnestrovie is chiefly visited by more or less sophisticated tourists come; here come experienced people who have already been to Central Asia, many of whom have also visited other ex-USSR countries. People are driven by curiosity - it prompts them to discover new places for them," the guide noted, adding that the age of tourists varies from 25 to 65 years.
Most of the tourists come from the UK and Germany. There are also guests from Scandinavia - Sweden and Norway. The most exotic nationals Andrew has had to work with were the Peruvians. Swedes are offered the unique tour - "My New Stockholm". Not in vain did Andrey Smolensky learn Swedish for 4.5 years.
"There are people who are interested in history. The fact that Swedish King Charles XII ruled Sweden while staying in the then Moldovan Principality (near today’s Varnitsa village) is not known to everyone. There are traces of Charles XII in the Bendery Fortress as well. We have a nice story today that we can show and tell," said the guide.
Guides tell tourists about the evolution of Pridnestrovie, the significant events that have taken place in the country throughout 27 years of its existence. They also speak about the price the country paid during Moldova's aggression in 1992 to have the right to speak its native language.
"Tourists are leaving in a wonderful mood. The two Germans - Jens and Peter - have recently come. After two tours, they sincerely told me it had been a wonderful day. Feedback like that means a lot to me. I see that what we can solve a lot of tasks. On the one hand, people are enlightened, and on the other hand, they learn about our republic in a far more positive sense," Andrey Smolensky underscored.
However, despite such positive feedback, the project still has problems. According to our interlocutor, the main difficulty is that relatively few people around the world know about Pridnestrovie.
"We cannot know for sure whose services a foreigner who is willing to visit Pridnestrovie will prefer. Because Moldovan operators also offer tours to our country. They come in large groups, visit our sights, enterprises. And in some cases, we as representatives of purely Pridnestrovian destinations remain at a loose end. But we see and understand this is a free market. I express the hope that we will cooperate," said Andrey Smolensky.
The guide added that in this vein it is possible to highlight another problem in the tourist sphere: the absence of an airport in Pridnestrovie.
Andrey is sincerely pleased by people who come to us only for the sake of Pridnestrovie. "The Dutch came; they had a T-shirt with a circle was drawn on its back, and there were 5-7 countries they wanted to visit. That's what was pleasant for me was that Pridnestrovie was designated on this T-shirt as a separate segment," he added.
According to Andrey Smolensky, the government has made a significant contribution to the development of tourism in Pridnestrovie. "Pridnestrovie is becoming more liberal with respect to foreigners and tourists, more transparent, more open, more attractive," said the guide.
Tourists like to use TripAdvisor, where they can leave feedback on the places they have visited. According to Andrey Smolensky, the trend has changed over the past six years - more and more people leave positive reviews about Pridnestrovie.
"This is not only because of us; it is also the simplification of border control, migration posts, the availability of infrastructure, tourist facilities, restaurants. All these factors are interrelated," Andrey Smolensky believes.
The guide’s recommendations
The development of tourism in the country, of course, requires investment in the industry. According to the expert, it is necessary to create an information Internet portal about Pridnestrovie at the state level.
The site should feature the sights of the country and remarkable places to visit. The languages of the portal should be English and German. According to our interlocutor, it is also necessary to develop tourist centres, such as the Bendery Fortress, where improvement works are currently underway. There should be more centres of this kind.
"It would be a good idea to organize so-called guest ranches. When, for example, in Malayeshty we build a hotel and on its territory we grow everything that we eat: animal and vegetable products. It is interesting for a person to live close to nature, isn't it? He has come from, say, New York, and he wants to relax. He will go to a chicken coop, take a few home eggs and cook them. This is all interesting," said Andrew Smolensky, adding there is no guarantee that the tourist flow will increase, there is only a probability. The fact will be even greater interest on the part of tourists.
It is important to distribute a decent video about Pridnestrovie on the Internet, Andrey Smolensky believes. "Make an atmospheric video of the kind 'Come to beautiful Pridnestrovie' with Moldovan dances and so on," he said.
Continuing to tell more people about the country, to improve the recreation zones of towns and regions, we can make Pridnestrovie a pearl for any tourist.
"We can't demand that foreigners love Pridnestrovie as much as we do. Because people do not have information, they are subject to stereotypes. Our task is to show Pridnestrovie as we see it. And let them draw a conclusion, form an opinion," concluded Andrey Smolensky.
Interviewed by Olga Voronchikhina
