By Alessandra Cardone
ROME Authentic Ryan Miller Jersey , Dec. 28 (Xinhua) Foreign tourism boosted Italy's economy in 2013 and 62 percent of international operators worldwide confirmed an increase of travels toward Italy during Christmas and New Year's Eve holidays, a recent survey from the National Agency of Tourism (ENIT) revealed.
The positive trend would give a solid help to an exhausted economy slowing emerging from the longest recession after World War II.
ENIT's survey was performed among major tour operators and travel agencies around the world (in 18 European and 10 non-European countries, respectively). The 62 percent increase in demands for "Italian holidays" has concerned extra-European countries, but a positive trend was also confirmed by 55 percent of European tour operators and agencies, the survey showed.
Diversifying and widening the offer seems to be the secret of the success. "We have doubled our efforts, trying to promote Italy in every corner of the world in 2013. Now good results are coming," said Andrea Babbi, director-general of ENIT.
Gino Acampora, managing director of an agency based in the southern city of Sorrento, near Naples, agreed. "The secret is varying your offers. Italy has many attractions: culture, history, food and wine, wellness, nature of all sorts... everything that foreign tourists could love," Acampora explained to Xinhua. "Competition with other countries is also great, however, and Internet offers or self-made travels are also increasing. So you must be really good in attracting your specific target of clients with 'ad-hoc' proposals," he pointed out.
Founded in the '70, Acampora Travel agency works nation-wide and focuses on a target of medium and rich tourists. "Foreign inflow has been overall very good in 2013. We have had excellent results with Canada, the United States, Australia, but also with Latin American countries. I would estimate by now the inbound flow will give us a 10-12 percent increase of profits," the manager added.
Italy is fifth most visited destination in the world tourism ranking compiled by United Nation World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) after France, United States, China, and Spain.
More than 48 million foreigners had visited the country in 2012 and this number has risen 2.5 percent in 2013. It is expected to grow further - around 3 percent - in 2014, according to domestic forecasts.
These increasing figures are expected to give Italy's economy a most relevant breathing space, since tourism has always been a driving resource for the country (weighing for 10.3 percent on the Gross Domestic Product and 11.7 percent on the national employment level in 2012).
Expectations are being met, so far. Foreigners' spending (during holidays) reached 32 billion euros (44 billion U.S. dollar s) last year, according to Italy's Central Bank, and the revenue has kept growing in 2013, with a 3.3 percent of increase between January and September compared to the same period of the previous year.
The positive trend - which is bringing the tourism sector near "pre-crisis" levels - would have another useful effect. "Improving results with foreigners has helped Italian agencies and tour operators to counterbalance the drop in domestic demand, which has been quite sharp in the last years," Acampora told Xinhua.
According to ENIT's survey, cities of art proved again to be the most privileged destinations during year-end festivities: not only major cities like Rome, Florence, Venice, and Naples, but also smaller towns with a rich historical heritage like Perugia, Assisi, Siena, or Orvieto.
Second most requested destinations were ski areas in Northern Italy, followed by tour packages regarding wellness and gastronomy. Packages offering different attractions combined- such as a cultural destination enriched with some food and wine excursions and a luxury shopping tour - have also proved to be increasingly successful among foreigners.
Germany is traditionally the first "buyer", with other European partners like France, Britain, Austria, the Netherlands or Spain coming behind. Yet the sharpest increase in foreign presence has involved extra-Europe countries and also 'new markets' such the so-called BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China).
For Christmas and New Year's Eve 2013 only, the National Agency of Tourism's survey stated an increase of 20 percent in booking from Russia, around 20 percent from China as well, 8-10 percent from United States, 5 percent from India, and 3 percent from Japan.
A 24-year-old woman is alleging she had a sexual relationship with singer R. Kelly when she was a teen.
Jerhonda Johnson Pace told Buzzfeed she was 15 and a fan when she met the singer in 2008 outside the Chicago courtroom where he was on trial for bannedography charges.
Now a married mother of three, Pace alleges that she began a sexual relationship with Kelly after he was acquitted of those charges. She was 16 at the time, younger than the 17-year-old age of consent in Illinois.
CNN has attempted to reach Pace for additional comment.
Pace told the publication that despite having signed a nondisclosure agreement for which she received payment from Kelly, she said she felt compelled to come forward after a recent Buzzfeed report that included new allegations that Kelly is controlling a group of women (none of whom are minors) in what some of their parents describe as an abusive "cult."
"If I can speak out and I can help them get out of that situation, that's what I will do," Pace said. "I didn't have anybody to speak up on my behalf when I was going through what I was going through with him."
Kelly has denied any wrong doing and has not been charged with any crimes connected with the allegations.
In a statement to CNN on Tuesday, Kelly's publicist, Trevian Kutti denied Pace's allegations.
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