Southern Region delegation visits Italy

A delegation of 15 businesspeople who are the members of Southern Regional Chambers of Commerce, Minister of Southern province rural industries, rural developments, tourism, economic promotion, social welfare and employment and Chairman of Ruhunu Tourism Bureau (RTB) visited Italy particularly Rome, Perugia in the Umbria Region and Milan from 2 - 10  September 2011.

The Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce organised this visit in collaboration with FELCOS, Umbria .  Azmi Thassim, Director General of HDCC led the delegation.

Thassim said, “Italy has got lot of history and also lesson for tourist industry, Enterprising and hospitable people.  Overall, it is a nice country to work with. We will be able to attract more tourists from Italy.”

On the 7 September, HDCC and the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Craft Trade and Agriculture of Perugia signed a MoU to promote business between the two regions and to work together to promote local economy of both regions.  

The Chamber of Commerce in Perugia is an independent public body that supports and promotes the general interests of local companies. Perugia Chamber helps and encourages the economic development of the local enterprises and territory through benefits, credit inducements and business financing, entrepreneurial formation, innovation and technology transfer, infrastructure development and valorisation of territory resources; participates in the economical development of Perugia territory, stimulates the local entrepreneurial competitiveness and its internationalisation; exercises all the administrative activities, according to the Italian law, promotes objective and impartial rules in commercial contracts; The Chamber of Commerce of Perugia in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce of Terni and Region of  Umbria,  promote the export and the internationalisation of local small and medium enterprises through  the constitution of  the Umbria Trade Agency, a non profit Agency with the purpose to improve the local economy through the presence in the  global market.

The delegation visited Sri Lankan Embassy in Rome and they engaged with interactive meeting with the members of Sri Lankan Diaspora. In Perugia the delegation had an opportunity to visit Perugia Chamber, meeting with Association of Touristic companies & travel agencies, APT – Regional Office for Touristic Promotion, a specialist of Marketing in Tourism sector on the idea of “Diffused Hospitality”, Regional Councillor in charge of Economy and Local Development and visited some examples of rural hospitality in Orvieto countryside.