Rome, all set for a tourism makeover

Roman authorities have designed new tourism initiatives to increase the number of arrivals almost by double, Mauro Cutrufo, Rome’s deputy mayor said.

The Italian capital city is all set to upgrade its image as a tourism hotspot. “Rome is bracing itself to meet a whole range of fresh challenges,” Cutrufo was quoted as saying in London at the recently held World Travel Market 2010.

Referring to the city’s makeover plans, he said that the city will open doors for many new attractions in 2012-13 including theme parks, golf course, fairs, exhibitions, nautical sports center, leisure activities center and more.

“Highlights will include a new public golf course, the Mare Nostrum aquarium and a revamped waterfront area in Ostia,” he said.

Meanwhile, speculations of opening of a Roman Empire theme park in future are imparting a lot of excitement among visitors. Rome is also supposed to host a Formula 1 grand prix in 2012, which experts say, will draw tourists from across the world.

Tourism is one of the major industries of Rome, where museums, heritage sites and historical monuments are among the world’s most visited destinations. The authorities have been experimenting to enhance tourism in this ancient city of Europe for quite some time. Last month, the underground dungeons of the Colosseum were open to public, for the first time ever in the history of Rome, attracting a whooping number of foreign tourists.