Italy open for business, awaits influx of more Qatari tourists, says envoy

As more countries are opening their borders and relaxing travel restrictions, Italy is ready for the influx of Qatari tourists, as well as other visitors from across the globe, Italian ambassador Alessandro Prunas has said.Italy’s top diplomat here made the statement on the sidelines of Qatar Travel Mart 2021, which opened Tuesay and will run until November 18 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC).“This event has come at the right time and in the wake of the impact of Covid-19 on the global travel and tourism industry. Countries, including Italy, are reopening for tourism but with the necessary precautions aimed at maintaining the health and safety of all visitors,” Prunas told Gulf Times.Citing figures from Unesco, Prunas said Italy is a leader in the tourism industry, with over 70% of world heritage sites is found across different parts of the country. “Italy is one of the countries that can give the largest possible diversity in terms of tourism destination,” he stressed.“For us, it is a natural choice to be present at Qatar Travel Mart 2021 and having one of the largest pavilions on the exhibition hall. We do look at Qatar as a very important market because we know that Qataris love Italy. We are encouraging not only Qataris but everyone to come to Italy because we are open for business again,” he stressed.Giorgio Palmucci, the president of ENIT (Italian National Tourism Board), also said Italy is ready to host a new wave of tourists, reiterating the ambassador’s earlier statement that Qatar is an “important market for us,” citing ongoing events and activities, particularly the 2022 FIFA World Cup.“Today, I think that it’s very important to present our country to Qatar, and at the same time we know there are many Italian tourists ready to come and visit Qatar, so it’s very important to work with the country’s tourism board because we think that the partnership between our countries is one of the best, and similar to Qatar Airways, which I think is the best company in the world, so it is important for us to create and improve our relationship with this country,” he stressed.“While it is true that it is important to bring foreign tourists to Italy, but it is, likewise, important to help Italian tourists discover the world, so they are ready to travel and come to Qatar,” he said, adding that Doha is seen as a hub for Italian tourists travelling through Qatar to other parts of the world.Conversely, Palmucci said the Italian Ministry of Tourism is working to make it easier for Italians to travel to Qatar, adding that more tourists from Italy are expected to visit Qatar from December.