By pure coincidence, my last few interviews have been with businessmen who started out in the 1990s and are still leading successful businesses today. And since I’ve known them for nearly 30 years, it’s impossible not to talk not just about the present, but also about the early days of their businesses.

I met Afanasie Eșanu when he was Vice Director of Air Moldova, and I was taking a leap of faith by launching the airline’s first-ever inflight magazine.

But today’s interview starts even earlier than that.

Afanasie, good afternoon. When we met, I was told that before becoming an airline executive, you were a pilot yourself. But I’ve never asked you about that time. What kind of aircraft did you fly?

I started my aviation career as a military pilot. I was born and raised in Moldova, and if I may use a bit of a cliché — the sky was calling me. So I applied to the Chernigov Higher Military Aviation School in Ukraine. Back then, in the Soviet Union, there were only two military pilot schools — in Chernigov and Volgograd. The Chernigov school was one of the best, and it produced more than 15 cosmonauts.

I had no idea about that part of your life. I thought you only flew commercial aircraft…

I started out flying MiG-21 and MiG-23 jets. After graduation, I served another year as a pilot in Totskoye, in the Urals. If there’s a place on Earth that God has truly forgotten, it’s there. Just to give you an idea of the atmosphere — in 1951, a 40-kiloton atomic bomb was tested there during a military exercise. The records of that explosion still haven’t been fully declassified, but we often flew over the crater left behind. It was still clearly visible, even though 40 years had passed.

I don’t even want to imagine that…

After a year of service, the USSR collapsed, and I decided to demobilize and return to Moldova. At the time, a small group of us — eight military pilots — came together, and the government launched a retraining program to convert us into commercial pilots. We were sent to Bucharest for training, and then I flew for another three years as a co-pilot for Tarom. After that, I worked for a while as the Air Moldova representative in Bucharest.

And from there, you came to Air Moldova in Chișinău, where we met?

Almost — the path was a bit more complicated. In 1994, together with Nicolae Petrov, I helped establish Moldavian Airlines. A year later, we parted ways, and I became a partner in one of the first travel agencies — Voiaj International. In 1997, I was offered a position at Air Moldova as Vice Director in charge of economic matters. That’s when you and I met. Later, after a change in government — since Air Moldova was a state-owned company — the company’s policy shifted, and I returned to Voiaj. Since then, for more than 20 years, I’ve been running the agency.

There have been plenty of difficult moments over the years. The story of Voiaj International mirrors the story of Moldova’s first private companies. But today, I found myself thinking about what has always kept me going through all this time. We celebrated the birthday of our IT guy today — he turned 60. He’s been with us since 1997 and never once thought of leaving. And he’s not the only long-timer on our team. Working with people like that has always been a source of pride for me. The team is the main reason for Voiaj International’s success and longevity. And when we gather for holidays, we always have something to remember.

When you talk to young people, tourism seems like a romantic business. But after 30 years, how do you feel about it? I’m almost afraid to do the math — if you multiply the number of Voiaj clients by the number of vacation days over three decades, we’re talking millions of man-days. Behind that are flights, hotel bookings, inevitable hiccups, flight delays, thousands of calls about being put in the wrong room…

You might be surprised, but I still approach this business with emotion. I genuinely get a kick out of bringing people joy, giving them a satisfying travel experience. It’s gratifying to solve a problem caused by a delayed flight, to find a solution when something gets canceled, to book the perfect hotel in a region. Without exaggeration, it’s the emotional side of it that keeps me going. Because economically, tourism today is a very tough industry. There’s more competition, more products, more possibilities than ever before. You have to be a little crazy and deeply in love with this business to keep pouring your energy into it year after year.

What’s the current team like at Voiaj International?

More than 30 people. Besides our central office, we have one branch in Chișinău on Ștefan cel Mare and another in Bălți. We’re planning a few more partnerships in the regions of Moldova. We’re definitely not standing still.

This is turning into a somewhat lyrical interview — I can’t resist asking: what was the most memorable trip that Voiaj International ever organized?

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the strongest emotions were during those first years. For us, and for our clients, any trip abroad was a big deal. I still remember New Year’s Eve in 1995. We organized our first New Year charter to Cyprus. Two Tu-154s filled to the last seat. We stayed in four different hotels. The trip was unforgettable — for us and for the Cypriots. Back then, tourists from the former USSR were almost nonexistent on the island. I think swimming in the sea on New Year’s Day (how could you not, when it’s 15 degrees?) left quite an impression on the locals.

Okay, Cyprus was the most memorable. What was the most exotic trip?

New Zealand. We flew 27,000 kilometers — nearly 24 hours in the air. An incredible country. Stunningly beautiful. But the thing that struck me most was how distant it is. Not just geographically. It’s like this country is unplugged from the rest of the world. News there feels like it’s coming from underwater. Their own slow-paced rhythm of life is simply mesmerizing.

Let’s come back to the present day — to Moldova and the travel business. In such a competitive market, can a travel agency still stand out beyond good service? Courtesy and attention are important, of course — but can the actual service itself be truly unique?

It can. Of course, you can’t “claim” all of Crete and say, “Only I fly there.” But you can choose 3–5 hotels on Crete and build strong partnerships to offer your clients a truly unique product.

So let me ask the question of summer 2025: what is Voiaj International offering that’s special this year?

Just a few days ago, we launched a program with direct flights from Chișinău to Santorini, Corfu, and Rhodes — with special pricing. A short layover in Athens, and you’re on a Greek island.

That’s still an unfulfilled dream of mine. After reading my favorite childhood book, My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell, I’ve always wanted to visit Corfu.

Believe me, the island won’t disappoint you. It’s still not overrun by civilization. It has countless stunning coves, and the Ionian Sea wraps around it like a precious stone.

Not this summer — I’ve got other plans.

The route is open until October, so maybe it’s time to make that dream come true?

Speaking of summer vacations…

Turkey hasn’t gone anywhere. It remains the most in-demand destination. But I’d like to use this opportunity to mention something important — something negative that happens repeatedly and may happen again.

What is it?

In Moldova’s market, we keep seeing the same scenario play out. Suddenly, some unbelievably cheap vacation deal pops up. People see prices 30–40–50% lower than the market, and year after year, they fall into the same trap. In the end, they lose both their money and their vacation.

So I want to urge people not to fall for these super-offers where the price is half the going rate. Free cheese only comes in a mousetrap. Let me make it very clear: a travel package that normally costs €2,500 cannot realistically be sold for €1,600. Or if it is, you’ll likely never see your vacation or your money again.

I thought those days were behind us…

Unfortunately, as it turns out, even in 2025, the industry still faces this kind of trouble.

Since we’re talking about the industry — what’s the biggest challenge right now?

Attracting young people who want to join the industry. Just like other sectors, tourism needs passionate and talented youth — people who can carry the industry forward and help it grow.

Let’s use this interview as a recruiting tool for Voiaj International. Imagine young readers — or their parents — are reading this. What can Voiaj offer them for their careers?

If you’re goal-oriented, we offer fantastic conditions. We provide training, info tours, special discounts for staff vacations — we’ve even sent our team to the Maldives. A young person in our office can see the world, learn the travel industry from the inside, and — speaking of emotions, which are so important — get real joy from giving people unforgettable experiences and helping them live some of the most beautiful moments of their lives.