ItalyUpdate

Rome enjoyed a record increase in visitor numbers in 2011 when the city welcomed 1 million more tourists than in 2010, with total arrivals recorded as 11,405,160, a percentage increase of 18.36% over the previous year.

The Eternal City had a boom New Year. The holiday between 29 December-2 January registered  +3.76% rooms bookings  and +2.48% presences in comparison with 2010.

An imaginative programme of special events and cultural activities, including the Festival of Cinema, introduced a few years ago by former mayor Walter Veltroni, have contributed to transform the city famous for its monuments and antiquities into a hip destination, capable of attracting thousands of young people from all over the world.