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Satyendra Pathak
Doha
The number of tourists from Qatar to Italy grew more than 30 percent to around 30,000 in 2017 compared to the previous year, Italian Ambassador to Qatar HE Pasquale Salzano has said.
Italy has become a distinctive tourist destination for Qataris as the country has taken various measures to make the visa process easier for Qatari nationals, Salzano told Qatar Tribune.
While the normal visa process is already very easy, the ambassador said, the embassy will be soon launching a VIP service for Qatari nationals that will make the visa process a lot easier.
"Our aim is to make travel easier from Qatar to further strengthen the relationship between the two countries," he said.
According to Salzano, the number of Italian people visiting Qatar also grew more than 30 percent in 2017 compared to the previous year."There is a marked increase in Italian people visiting Qatar in the recent months due to the pleasant weather and nice hotel accommodations," he said.
Abundance of business opportunities in Qatar is also attracting a lot of Italians to Doha, he said, adding that four regular direct flights of Qatar Airways to different cities in Italy has also played a vital role in increasing the number of tourists from both sides.
Qatar Airways has also expanded its footprint in Italy by taking stake in Italian Meridian airlines, he said adding that about 49 percent of the growth in the airline industry in Italy is with Qatari investments.
The envoy said many Qataris visit Italy also to finalise business deals in machinery and modern technology.
The envoy said that a high-level business delegation from Qatar will be visiting Italy in the second half of this year to have a close look at Italy's advancement in industrial machinery.
Another delegation comprising officials from Qatar's Ministry of Economy and Commerce and Qatar Chamber will be visiting Italy by the end of this year to strengthen trade ties between the two countries.
