Destination: Vila Roz — Promoting Rural Tourism in Moldova

Liuba Railean spent her life working as a seamstress in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. When she retired, she returned to her childhood home and developed it into the Vila Roz guesthouse, named after her love for roses, to supplement her pension. Vila Roz received a grant from Moldova Competitiveness Project (MCP), funded by USAID and Sweden to renovate the dining terrace and make it accessible all year round. As a result, Liuba has seen an uptick in the number of visitors to Vila Roz, and is able to provide employment for neighboring women who might otherwise move to the city or overseas. A peek inside Liuba's Vila Rose offers a glimpse into the MCP project’s broader success in boosting rural tourism in Moldova.