Storyline: Italy welcomes growing wave of Chinese tourists [Voice_over] Rome is the Italian city topping the list for Chinese travellers during this year's Golden Week. The key attractions? Culture, food, wine and shopping. [Sound_bite] Chinese tourist: "The culture of Italy is very different from China, so we are very impressed by Italy." [Sound_bite] Chinese tourist: "Maybe we have some special relationship between China and Italy, so I think choosing Italy for my holiday is a very good choice." [Sound_bite] Chinese tourist: "It's my first time here and it's really good here." [Voice_over] Alessandra Priante is the President of the Italian Tourism Board. She says there's been an "outstanding" rise in Chinese visitors – and a shift in their travel trends. [Sound_bite] Alessandra Priante, President, Italian Tourism Board: "We have seen a 27 percent increase in arrivals comparing the two years but what we saw is the change that they're getting younger and the groups are maybe smaller." [Voice_over] According to Trip.com, flights from China to Italy during Golden Week alone jumped by 22 percent. The CEO of Rome Airports, Marco Troncone, says the numbers are encouraging. [Sound_bite] Marco Troncone,CEO, Rome Airports: "From January to August this year, for the first 8 months, we recorded an excess of half a million passengers. We're very happy with the level of connectivity, we're operating direct flights from Italy to China with 6 different airlines to 8 different destinations." [Voice_over] But 2026 is set to be even more successful. [Stand_up] Hermione Kitson,Reporter: "The next big event expected to attract Chinese travellers is the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games. Building on the momentum of the Beijing Games, it's hoped the event will herald the return of pre-pandemic numbers." [Voice_over] The games will be held across both the city setting of Milan and the mountain resort town of Cortina, offering a dual travel experience. [Sound_bite] Alessandra Priante, President, Italian Tourism Board: "This will allow us to make the tourists, and specifically the Chinese tourists, explore the Italy that they have not seen yet. So we are focusing on creating the legacy of the post Winter Olympics." [Voice_over] A sporting legacy that's hoped to be a game changer in Italy's tourism market. [Sound_bite] Marco Troncone,CEO, Rome Airports: "So we are very optimistic about next year, next summer season. It will be a season which we will overcome pre-COVID evels, because demand is growing." [Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland]