Bologna the first Italian city certified in China with MoU

Bologna, Mar 29 - The city known the world over for its two signature towers is ready to welcome Chinese tourists. On March 10 in the red hall of Palazzo d'Accursio, the Mayor of Bologna, Virginio Merola, announced before the Chinese Ambassador to Italy, Li Ruiyu, that the municipality was joining the "Welcome Chinese" project.

Bologna was the first Italian city to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) designed to bring China and the capital city of the Emilia Romagna Region closer both from the point of view of tourism and in terms of economic and trade relations. On March 29 in Beijing, at the premises of the China Tourism Academy (an agency for China's Ministry of Tourism), Matteo Lepore, municipal councillor for Economics, and Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, countersigned the MoU. It set in motion the three-year partnership which will open Bologna to Chinese tourists.

The goal of the mission has been to finalise the partnership agreement, but also to strengthen trade relations with the most important Chinese tour operators and promote the establishment of direct flights. Bologna has become the first Italian metropolitan city to receive the official Chinese certification "Welcome Chinese." By receiving such a prestigious certificate, it is possible to enter directly into the Chinese market through the support of the China Tourism Academy.

The agency promotes the programme and offers special accreditation with major Chinese tour operators, in conjunction with China Central Television (CCT) and China Union Pay, the only credit card circuit which originates in the country. The project will be an incentive to hospitality and welcoming services for Chinese tourists. It will also support the "Welcome Chinese " certification for Bologna's stakeholders working in the tourist information and welcoming sector (airport, transportation, tourist information and welcoming (IAT), museums, hotels and catering systems) through an active cooperation with Select Holding Ltd, an exclusive partner for the implementation of the 'Welcome Chinese' certification. China represents the largest tourist market in the world in terms of expenditure, and the second largest in terms of tour organization.