ITALY GUEST OF HONOUR AT IZMIR TOURISM FAIR 2014

09 dicembre 2014

2 min di lettura

(VELINO) Roma, 9 Dec - Italy was guest of honour at the IzmirTourism Fair in Turkey in early December. Some 30,000 visitors- 50 percent more than last year - and around 800 exhibitorsfrom 30 different countries attended the 2014 edition. TheItalian Embassy in Ankara, along with 20 travel agencies andtour operators and representatives of Expo Milano 2015,gathered in the Italian National Tourism Agency (ENIT)pavilion. The significant number of Italian operators, well upon last year, is testament to Italy's interest in a countrywith ample margins for growth in the outbound tourism sector.Turkey has a population of 80 million, with one of the lowestaverage ages in Europe - more than 50 percent under 30 - adynamic economy and growing well-being. Figures show that thecurrent top tourist destinations are Venice, Rome, Florence andMilan, but there is also a potential market in different areassuch as the coasts of Campania and the Marches, the EmiliaRomagna riviera, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, the centralItalian country regions (especially Umbria and Tuscany), theLakes in Lombardy and the alpine and Appennine ski resorts.There is great potential for themed tours, such as food andwine. The 2015 Universal Exposition in Milan is likely to proveanother great draw for people around the globe, Turkeyincluded. The Expo was discussed by the Embassy trade officeduring the fair, and an invitation issued to the more than 500guests present. The Italian Embassy and diplomatic network areworking to further improve visa policy - visas are currentlyrequired by Turkish visitors - to whom 140,000 were issued in2013, almost 80 percent of which were for tourism purposes. vel.