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Russia-Italy Tourism Year gets going

13:25, 25 марта 2013

Russia and Italy agreed to carry out mutual tourist years in 2013-2014. The respective document was signed on March 21, 2013 by Russian Culture Minister, Vladimir Medinsky, and Italian Tourism Minister Pierro Gnudi at Moscow's MITT travel trade fair.

The project was initiated by the Italian side after it saw the success of the mutual tourism year held between Russia and China that, according to the Deputy Minister of Culture of Russia, Alla Manilova, resulted in over 40% increase in the tourist flow from China.

During a press briefing at the Italian booth, Mrs. Manilova told about the project's key objective being the mutual promotion of regions and interregional tourist products, aimed at reminding the two countries' citizens that Italy has to offer not only Rome and Milan and Russia doesn't end in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. The countries have the intention to encourage active cooperation between the club of The Most Beautiful Small Towns of Italy and the Union of Small Towns of Russia; a partnership agreement between the to associations was signed as early as 2010. The Director of ENIT's Moscow office Mr. Marco Bruschini said that the Italian tourism authority is going to participate in the Expotravel trade show in Yekaterinburg this autumn, where it intends to carry out a presentation of small towns of Italy.

The tourism year will last from September 2013 to the same month in 2014. The events schedule is still being formed; but it's sure to feature various presentations, congresses, travel trade fairs, press-tours, as well as educational and youth activities.

As per the data of the Ministry of Culture of Russia, cited by Mrs. Manilova, last year, our country was visited by 212 thousand Italian tourists (Rosstat gives a smaller number: 118.7 thousand), while Italy welcomed 800 thousand Russians. The Ambassador Mr. Antonio Landi hopes to issue more entry permits in Russia this year: "In 2012 we issued 650 thousand visas; this year we plan to serve one million applicants." Mr. Landi added that the Italian government is looking into a possibility of providing visas to some categories of Russian applicants free of charge.

"Russia is becoming a key market for us," the Ambassador pointed out," And what proves it better than the extent of our presence at MITT? We'd like you to note that our booth here is much bigger that the one we had in Berlin at ITB." 16 Italian regions and 15 private travel companies have come to Moscow this year, the Director General of ENIT, Mr. Andrea Babbi, specified. The Republic of San Marino presented itself in Russia for the first time this year. So did the Italian railways, wishing to see more Russian tourists onboard their trains.

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