Ivana Jelinic, President and CEO of the Italian Tourism Board, said that the recovery of Chinese tourists to Italy is within reach and this year, starting with the Chinese New Year holidays, the number of arrivals will increase. may reach a “new peak”, he said.
Written by Guo Wendy
ROME, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) – A recovery in Chinese tourism to Italy is within reach, with tourism likely to reach a “new peak” from this year’s Chinese New Year holiday, Italian Tourism says officials said.
This year’s Lunar New Year holiday, which runs from February 10 to 17, is traditionally one of the peak periods for Chinese tourists and “will definitely be an indicator for understanding trends in the coming months,” Ivana said. Jelinich said. , Chairman and CEO of the Italian Tourism Board, said in a recent written interview with Xinhua.
He pointed out that in addition to positive factors such as an increase in international flights and an increase in the number of Chinese overseas travelers during this year’s holiday period, the increase in Chinese tourists in Europe and Italy was quite noticeable in the second half of 2023. did.
Jelinic said the potential for Chinese outbound tourism is huge, and the number of Chinese tourists visiting Italy this year is expected to reach and exceed the record set in 2019.
“The most visited cities are definitely Rome, Venice, Florence and Milan,” she said, with other destinations including the seaside resorts of the south, the Alps, the historic villages of central Italy and thermal resorts. He added that it is becoming more and more popular among people. Chinese tourists.
He added that Chinese tourists are extremely important to various destinations in Italy. For example, in 2019, Chinese tourists ranked third in terms of arrivals to Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region.
Jelnick said he believes natural scenery, architectural gems and great local cuisine are crucial to attracting Chinese tourists. “Italian destinations that combine these three elements are well-positioned to attract an increasing number of Chinese tourists, and in fact their numbers are very high.”
This year is considered a pivotal year for the recovery of China’s inbound and outbound tourism market. The number of people traveling to and from China during the three-day New Year holidays from December 30, 2023 to January 1, 2024 was 5.18 million, an increase of 4.7 times compared to the same period last year. I’m back. 2019 levels according to the China National Immigration Administration.
Tourism is an important part of Italy’s economy. The total contribution of the tourism sector in 2019 was around 13% of Italy’s gross domestic product, according to industry data.
Mr Jelnick said the benefits of China’s outbound tourism could spread to various sectors of the economy, including hospitality, direct services to tourists, the Made in Italy sector, retail, luxury goods, food and wine. Ta.■