Dec. 3 – “The black and slender gondola, and the way in which it moves, mild, without any noise, did something strange, a beautiful dream, and it is an integral part of the city of idleness, love and music.” Said Hermann Hesse of Venice. But Hesse is just one of many authors to be fascinated by the Venetian city: Goldoni, Casanova, John Ruskin, Goethe, Thomas Mann… no artist has been able to resist the city’s charm – and Venice is just one of the many beauties the Italian region jealously guards. Veneto – thanks to its natural, cultural, artistic and architectural heritage – has over 60 million tourists a year and is the most visited region of Italy. And as Russian tourists increased their traveling to Veneto, today, in Moscow, Veneto tourism concludes its “winter campaign” at the Hotel Metropol with 70 buyers of the great eastern country. “Russian are guests who looks at the most prestigious addresses in our region with great interest – emphasizes the Regional Councilor for Tourism Marino Finozzi – in just the first eight months of 2013, Russian arrivals have increased by more than 14% and attendance by 20% compared to 2012. Last year overall growth was 16.6% in arrivals and 19.4% in overnight stays. Russians show increasing interest for particular segments, such as the Dolomites in winter, the spa services, and golf fields. 2014 will be the year of Italo-Russian tourism: we want to make the most of this occasion and we are preparing very specific initiatives that will be presented in January.”
