Based on the data of the National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova and publications of scientists from different countries, the given work presents the role of tourism as a field of activity and as an income-generating activity, having a significant impact on the national economy and GDP. At the same time, the tourism industry is closely linked to natural resources and contributes to the socio-economic development. The estimation of the economic value of environmental resources in the nature-based tourism has been identified by the authors as an acute problem in the field of tourism services. Natural areas are often in the focus of leisure trips (eg parks, gardens, lakes, agricultural land, etc.), but rarely have a market price. The travel cost method is a technique that has been developed over the years to value the use of natural resources for recreational purposes.