Promoting quality tourism in Italy is the goal of the “Ministry of Foreign Affairs-Touring Club” initiative that today launched a new card for Italian members living abroad and other foreigners that should facilitate their vacationing in Italy.
A network of conventions, discounts and initiatives
MFA Secretary General Michele Valensise and Touring Club President Franco Iseppi signed a protocol of understanding providing for the Touring Club’s offer of a card entitled “Touring Card for Foreign Member” that gives access to a multitude of information on Italy and a network of conventions, discounts and initiatives promoted by the Touring Club. The cost is €25 per year. All services can be viewed on the website www.touringcard.it.
Broad-based quality tourism to boost the Italian economy
“We are counting on broad-based, high quality tourism to give the Italian economy a boost”, Valensise explained, pointing out that the card could be an incentive to “the large Italian community abroad to rediscover their roots”.
46 million foreigners visit Italy every year
Some 46 million foreigners visit Italy every year, an increase of 10% over the past 30 years, Iseppi stated, underscoring the possibility of drawing from the 400 million tourists who choose Europe and the Mediterranean. In order to better do that, he said, we have to foreground our “distinctiveness”, i.e. environmental variety, cultural wealth and food/wine offerings, promoting the “Italy brand” as a whole through coordinated public/private actions. In this sense, Valensise expressed his hope that such initiatives could be generated through the network of Italian Cultural Institutes around the world.