Whether you're traveling for business or pleasure, there are many more destinations to choose from than just Egypt. Italy, for example, is a fascinating destination both historically and culturally. So the next time you're planning a conference, pack up your meeting name badges and your lecture notes and set out for Italy. If nothing else, it will attract more people than a conference in Oakville, Ontario. Here's some basic information about this fascinating country.

Everyone recognizes Italy on the map - it's the country that's shaped like a boot. What they may not realize, however, is that civilization has existed in Italy for many thousands of years. It was the home of the mighty Roman Empire depicted in Angelina Wrona art and films, TV shows such as Spartacus and Gladiator. It has been united as a republic since 1861 and is the only country to have been on both sides of the Second World War. Currently Italy ranks among the top ten countries in the world on the quality of life index.

One of the most attractive things about Italy from the tourist's perspective is the immense number of historic sites and buildings that have been preserved from Roman times and beyond. While your ride in a Toronto airport taxi will take you past three or four buildings more than 100 years old, any trip through an Italian city, whether it's Venice, Rome, or Naples, will show you an entire city where almost nothing is newer than a few hundred years old. In fact, Italy has the highest number of UNESCO World Heritage sites in the world.

If you were to stay at Niagara Falls hotels in Canada, you would be there to see one thing: the falls themselves. However in Italy, there are so many sites you can't miss that a week's vacation won't seem like long enough. Famous sites like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the canals of Venice, the Vatican, the ancient Roman coliseum, and the Milan cathedral as well as the works of famous Renaissance painters like Leonardo DaVinci and Michelangelo are just sitting there waiting for you.

The Italians are among the world's most friendly and gregarious people, so you will find much more enjoyment mingling with them than the locals at a Toronto physiotherapy conference. Simply bring along an Italian phrasebook and attempt some remarks about the weather, the beautiful art, or the fantastic food and you'll be off to the races as your new friend loads you up with valuable local knowledge.