A New Era of Tourism at BIT 2024: Sustainable, Conscious, Personalized, Technological

21 December 2023 5:40pm

Milan, Massimo Terracina

Despite the international geopolitical uncertainties, the desire to travel persists, both in Italy and globally. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), global tourism has made significant strides, achieving a recovery rate of 90% compared to 2019 as of November 30. Europe, in particular, excelled by welcoming 550 million international tourists in the first nine months of 2023, representing 56% of the global total and surpassing the numbers of 2019. With strong demand from the United States and intra-regional travel, this vibrant industry thrives on multiple levels. Italy, renowned for its cultural contributions and economic activities, commands a value of 255 billion euros, equivalent to 13% of the GDP.

Italy reaffirms its position among the top destinations abroad: in 2022, it ranked fourth in terms of visitor numbers (constituting 14.5% of the entire EU's registered visits that year), following Spain (16.6%), France (16.3%), and Germany (14.7%). However, by the first half of 2023, Italy ascended to the second spot, trailing only behind Spain.

These promising prospects set the stage for BIT Milano, an indispensable platform fostering relationships and business opportunities in the sector. The event, scheduled at the Allianz MiCo in Milan from Sunday, February 4, to Tuesday, February 6, serves as an observatory for industry trends. It showcases national and international exhibitors, buyers, and a robust lineup of conferences, offering a firsthand experience of the present and future of the global travel industry. The focus is on increasingly sustainable, conscious, personalized, and technological offerings.

Moreover, this year, BIT has forged a strategic partnership with Italy's foremost chain of travel agencies: Welcome Travel Group, which includes Alpitour and Costa Crociere. With a turnover of 1.34 billion, marking a 20% increase from 2019, the group anticipates a 30-40% growth in 2024. The Welcome Travel Group has selected BIT for its corporate convention, infusing the event with a myriad of initiatives spanning three days.

High-profile Top Buyers for New International Opportunities

The ongoing selection and accreditation program for highly esteemed top buyers, both domestic and international, will empower exhibitors to foster business relationships and explore export prospects in target countries across continents. This includes the USA and Canada for North America, Argentina and Brazil for South America, and various European countries such as Spain, France, Germany, the UK, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Asian markets like China, India, and the United Arab Emirates also feature prominently. Confirmed participants include globally recognized companies like Grupo Viajes El Corte Inglés Travelzoo (Germany), Lidl Österreich GmbH, TUI Netherlands, among others.

Representing the United States are Backroads, HelmsBriscoe, and Dell Technologies Inc. From China, Fliggy, an online travel platform under the Alibaba group, and Beijing GE Hualun Medical Equipment Company Limited, the Chinese branch of GE Healthcare, a leading global producer of medical devices, are confirmed. With such diverse and prestigious representation, BIT Milano continues to serve as a crucial facilitator for global business connections, significantly contributing to sectoral growth.

Tailored Areas and Routes to Meet Exhibitor and Visitor Needs

The event retains its three Leisure areas, tailored to showcase the offerings of destinations and operators, with renewed attention on foreign destinations and internationalization. The inclusion of BeTech highlights digital services, while the MICE Village caters exclusively to business travel. These sectors aim to spotlight the strengths of exhibitors: the Leisure section encompasses exhibitors offering trips and destinations for mainstream tourism, including cities, holiday resorts, coastal and mountain getaways, culinary experiences, honeymoons, and the rising trend of experiential and personalized tourism. This extends from slow, eco-friendly tourism (receiving particular emphasis from BIT) to active, proximity-based, long-haul, exclusive, and tailor-made travel experiences.

The showcase features offerings from Italian regions and local authorities spanning from classic tours to world-renowned destinations with unique beauty, medieval villages, foot or mountain bike trails, visits to lesser-known yet captivating locales like Basilicata's incredible forests, the karst landscapes of Friuli Venezia Giulia, the concealed and captivating Naples underground in Campania, and the Palladian Villas of Veneto.

Additionally, there's news on attractions, hotels, and carriers participating in BIT, including Gardaland and its resorts, ITA airways, Eva airways, MSC Cruises, Cruiseline, Space Hotels, NH Milano Congress Center (MINOR Hotels), alongside other chains and services in the MICE sector.

Integrating Innovation into Travel

Thanks to the exclusive "Bringing Innovation into Travel" event format organized by Business International, Fiera Milano's knowledge unit, all stakeholders in the supply chain—associations, specialized publishers, and companies—will convene to deliberate on major sectoral trends. The discussions will revolve around three overarching themes: New Trends, Innovation, and Sustainability, encompassing environmental and human protection.