Luo Shugang, Chinese minister of Culture and Tourism, speaks at the opening ceremony of the 2020 China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism held in Rome on Jan 21, 2020. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org]

As part of the major events celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Italy diplomatic ties, China and Italy will join hands to launch more than 100 programs during their bilateral culture and tourism year of 2020.

Opened in Rome this Tuesday, the 2020 China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism received congratulatory letters from both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Italian President Sergio Mattarella. Luo Shugang, Chinese minister of Culture and Tourism, attended the opening events along with Chinese delegation.

Attending the opening concert at the Auditorium Parco della Musica were a total of 2,500 guests, including President of the Italian Senate Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, Italian Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini, Chinese ambassador to Italy Li Junhua, and Italian ambassador to China Luca Ferrari.

Luo Shugang (second left), Chinese minister of Culture and Tourism; Dario Franceschini (third left), Italian culture minister; and Li Junhua (first left), Chinese ambassador to Italy, all attend the China-Italy Tourism Forum in Rome, on Jan 21, 2020. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org]

An important part of the yearlong program, the China-Italy tourism forum, was held on Tuesday afternoon. More than 400 high-level government officials, international tourism organizations, educational institutions and think tanks discussed tourism cooperation and management.

Michele dall 'Ongaro, dean of Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Italy, reviewed the college's many examples of cooperation with China and looked forward to the 2020 Sino-Italian Culture and Tourism Year.

Francesco Rutelli, the Italian coordinator of the Sino-Italian cultural cooperation, said that Italy and China have cooperation in many cultural fields, including film, audio and video, modern art and design, food, fashion and other creative industries. Rutelli believes the forum exemplifies that Italy attaches great importance to the development of culture and tourism.