THE coalition government of Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi crumbled last week. It came at a time when the financial world all over the globe including mainland Europe tumbled down twice for fears of a recession in the United States. But there is one Italian lesson that we can gain after what happened when Prodi’s government went down – the spirit of Italian unity. Right after Prodi’s fall, former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi immediately took over the government. Berlusconi is considered as someone who can unite Italy right after Prodi’s government crumbled. Aside from being a united people, Italians are also considered soft spoken. That is one of their traits that Americans like in Italians. There are many Italian-Americans in the United States after all for their forefathers have emigrated there.

This year, how about going to visit Italy so that you can help not just in uplifting the United States economy but also the Italian economy as well. By booking your flight alone via Expedia, you are already helping the United States economy since part of your flight fare goes to Expedia and Expedia is an American business firm. Now when you board Alitalia, you will of course contribute to the Italian economy.

There are lots of sights in Italy and certainly not just Rome but all of them, I love to go to Venice. Venice holds two world records – it is the only remaining pedestrian city in the world and it is the only city sitting on a lagoon. From Rome, you either travel via a domestic flight or via ferry to Venice. If you do either of the two, you will be again contributing to the Italian economy. In Venice itself, it is heartwarming to travel via vaporetti or water buses. And every time you do that, you are contributing to the Italian economy.

Aside from Venice, there are lots of tourist magnets and static clings in Italy of course. The most natural phenomenal spot is Vatican City of course, headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church owns its own sovereignty in the area. Visitors here come not just from Europe but from other continents as well. In practical terms, they all have contributed to the continuing stability of the Italian economy. Another place to go in Italy this year is Tuscany. Tuscany has a very varied landscape with coastal regions on one side and a farming region on the other hand.

Now let’s talk about sports. Do you know that an Italian woman has emerged as the most graceful figure skater in Europe? Her name is Carolina Kostner. Actually, she was also the winner in 2007. All she did over the weekend in a very thrilling event in Saturday’s event in Zagreb was defend her title from Swiss challenger Sarah Meier. In the end, she wowed not just the judge but the whole audience in Zagreb as well as thousands who watched the event live on television across Europe.

ITALY will always remain to be one of the hottest destinations in the world because of the diversity of attractions it offers. Even in 2008, Italy remains to be a tourist magnet. Italy is host to the smallest nation in the world, the Vatican. And the Vatican is not just a nation but the headquarters of Roman Catholicism, a religion which spans to all continents in the world. Another attraction Italy offers is Venice. Venice holds two world records – it is the only remaining pedestrian city in the world (all cars have to be parked outside the city gates – which reminds me of medieval times where city boundaries are marked with fortified walls) and it is the only urban city in the world sitting on a lagoon. Constructing the canals in Venice is impressive enough. Visiting the place will surely be a wonderful one. Meanwhile, Milan has a different thing to offer – its fashion world. Designers’ names like Gucci, Ferragamo and Giordano are all Italian in etymologic origin and they all come from Milan.

Other people come here because of the food. Tiramisu and other forms of Italian and lasagna may be served in Italian restaurants in Manhattan but this is not the staple supposedly found in a typical Italian dining table. A real Italian diet especially in the Mediterranean coastlines consists of seafood. But the most important thing Italy can offer is its people. According to New Yorkers in a recent survey, Italian immigrants in the United States are the most soft-spoken people in the planet. That’s really an incredible revelation right there.

Moving on to this Year of the Rat in 2008, we’ll take a glimpse on what the country can offer to the world not just to tourists but also to investors alike. After all, going to Italy can also be financially rewarding. It’s so easy to cross the country if you come from Europe. You just take the Eurostar but if you want to land at Rome’s international airport, then there are dozens of flights from several countries available every day. One of the passions that Italians love is the Formula One racing. This year, the Italian Grand Prix takes place in Monza in Lombardy just north of Milan. In fact, just last week, Italy-based Ferrari has just disclosed its 2008 model to be used in Formula One races this year. Ferrari is actually the current defending champion in Formula One and this is one thing that Italians are proud of even if a Finnish, Kimi Raikkonen, is the one at the helm.

If you go to Piceno for example, you will visit an actual Italian farm where you can see how olives and other produce are cultivated and harvested. Olive oil is one Italian staple when they cook their food and olive oil is said to be the healthiest cooking oil in the world because of its low fat content. So have fun in Italy this 2008!