Sustainable development of tourism in the context of the accession process of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union

The article examines 2 main issues related to the process of accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union (EU), namely: liberalization of the provision of tourism services in the common European area, expressed through the transposition of Directive 2006/123/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on services in the internal market and information requirements for persons, consumers of tourism services, examined through Directive (EU) 2015/2302 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2015 on package travel and linked travel arrangements, amending Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 and Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 90/314/EEC.In the context of Directive 2006/123/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on services in the internal market, two broad categories of tourism service providers will be examined: tourist accommodation establishments with accommodation functions and entities whose main purpose is the creation and marketing of tourist packages: tour operators and travel agencies. The issue of tour guides will also be addressed tangentially. The issues addressed in the paper conclude that the integration into the European single market will provide new opportunities for the development of tourism services and diversification of tourism offers, thus, the tourism industry of the Republic of Moldova will become more sustainable, more competitive and more visible in the large and powerful market of the single European area.