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Italy online for Chinese tourists

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-06-16 16:04

Italy's Ministry of Tourism has launched an official Chinese website www.yidalinihao.com to attract more Chinese tourists to the country.

All in Chinese, the website provides detailed information about the country's great natural scenery and historical and culture heritage. It details what you can do, see, taste and buy in the different regions. It also recommends different tourism packages in different districts or cities. The website has multi-media videos featuring Chinese students as tour guides.

A Chinese language hotline - 039039039 - has also been introduced, open everyday from 9 am to 10 pm, including Sunday and public holidays, Chinese tourists can call this number for assistance.

According to a survey conducted by the Italian National Institute of Statistics, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Italy has increased greatly in recent years. In 2008, more than 716,500 Chinese tourists visited the country, about 1.7 percent of all foreign tourists. In 2009, Chinese tourists spent some 171 million euro in Italy.

Rome and Venice are the favorite destinations for Chinese tourists, around 40 percent of Chinese tourists visit Rome, while 27 percent opt for a beach holiday and some 20 percent a national tour.