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ROME, March 13-- Looking for in-depth training, professional advices, and possibly an employment opportunity, some 1,400 students on Wednesday took part in the opening of "FareTurismo" fair running on March 13-15 at the European University here. The event is the major appointment in Italy for both employers and jobseekers in the sector, offering orientation, conferences with public and private operators and officials, debates on tourism policies and last trends, and job interviews for selected candidates. Of the 1,400 people enrolled for the selection, about 1,000 were admitted to individual interviews with representatives of 25 companies, organizers said. "Tourism confirms to be a dynamic industry (in Italy), and relevant from the point of view of employment as well," Vittorio Messina, president of business association Assoturismo-Confesercenti, stressed in his remarks at the opening conference. "At the same time, we still suffer from a certain lack of staff training, and a clear gap exists between what is being taught in schools and the skills actually required by the market," said Messina. The official warned such gap would risk making Italy unable to grasp the opportunities that tourism would likely offer in the years to come, also in terms of contribution to the national gross domestic product (GDP). "The competence of our employees is a key element to compete successfully at global level," Messina stressed. | 
