(VEE) ITALIAN EMBASSY IN PRAGUE HELPS PROMOTE REGIONAL TOURISM

(VELINO) Roma, 17 Feb - The Italian embassy in Prague has held a new edition of the work meeting between Czech travel agencies and representatives of Italian regions and cities. After the success of 2015, the event again aimed to enrich the offers available to Czech tourists in Italy. More than 50 of the most important Czech tour operators met with institutional representatives and officials from the tourism sectors of the regions of Basilicata, Marche, Puglia and Umbria, as well as Orvieto and Ravenna town councils, which presented their local excellences and tourism itineraries marked by history, art, culture, scenic beauty and good food. Currently Italy is the second favourite destination for Czech tourists after Croatia and is the only country to boast a steady increase in visitors. A total of 562,000 Czech tourists visited the country in 2013, staying an average of more than a week, while 659,000 people came in 2014. The 2015 statistics are not yet available but, according to assessments by Alessandra Abagnato of the ENIT (Italian National Tourism Board) office in Vienna, the figures will show a further increase. Tourism is an enormously important factor for trade, said secretary general of the Italian-Czech Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Matteo Mariani. Ambassador Aldo Amati was particularly pleased: "With the growth in average incomes the Czechs have developed a deeper interest in Italian tourist destinations differing from the typical itineraries of northern Italy. We have therefore decided to continue last year's initiative with our friends in the Association of Tour Operators & Travel Agents of the Czech Republic (ACCKA) bringing new central and southern regions [of Italy] to Prague with their offers of holidays in beautiful and fascinating places. We need to stimulate the traditional curiosity of the Czechs when it comes to Italy and accompany them along new itineraries to build 'loyalty' to the Italian way of life," he concluded. vel
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