At the Arabian Travel Market, I spoke to Rome's Tourism Board officials regarding the latest trends.

The monuments, climate, warmth of the people and the sense of leisure in everyday life makes Italy a very romantic destination.

“Rome connects to the heart,'' says Annamaria Carrer, of the Rome and Lazio Tourism Board.

No wonder it is a popular destination. The fact that Emirates airlines has planned more flights to the city is also proof of the above statement.

“Rome can offer a complete experience for all visitors by offering them art, archaeology, museums, shopping, spas, sports, events and concerts. Whatever you look for, you will find in Rome and its surrounding territories,'' said Dr Francesco Ventura, general director of promotions at the Rome and Lazio Department of Tourism.

Another boost to tourism came when the Rome Film Festival was established. The city has been featured in many movies and in a sense, has become a complete movie setting in itself.

Most of the foreign visitors are from the US. After them come those from Japan, England, Germany, French and Russia.

About 50,000 visitors from the Middle East alone come to Italy and almost 25,000 of them head to Rome.

Site excursions to the ancient port of Rome, the villas in the Roman Castles area (Villa Tuscolana) and the Tivoli (a Unesco site) Equestrian sites (ancient Roman civilisation) are recommended because of the vast Roman history.

Each year, at the end of May, the festival of horses (Piazza di Siena) is celebrated in the Villa Borghese Park in the heart of the city.

Carrer says the tourism promotion of Rome has been slightly lagging, which is why other European cities such as Frankfurt have been attracting more tourists. But all that has now changed.

“Other than the warmth of the city and the rich culture, Rome has much to offer in both business and leisure,'' said Carrer.

The budget for the promotion of the city depends on various findings and statistics from research.

“After the research, we focus on that part of Rome which should be promoted the most. The place has a wide range of tourist delights but there is much more to it than just monuments,'' said Ventura.

By Amanda Watts, Special to Explore

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