An extremely positive edition of BitMilano has come to a close, with the 1300 exhibitors extremely satisfied – exhibitors representing more than 100 destinations in Italy and worldwide, who welcomed over 43,000 visitors to the event.
The resounding success of the exhibition was also clear in the extensive social media coverage.
“Initial feedback from our 38 operators is positive,” confirms Valentino Torbidoni, Promotional Activities Coordinator for the Marche Region.”They met with many buyers, and the presentation events were well received. We are seeing a high level of interest from markets which are new to us, such as China, while the traditional demand for outdoor holidays in the hinterland is increasing”.
International exhibitor Olga Mazzoni, President of Visit USA Italia commented: “We have noticed a large influx of visitors who, in addition to the classic destinations, this year are seeking holidays in nature, for example in the Rocky Mountains or in national parks, or musical itineraries, especially in the Southern States“.
For emerging destinations, adds Paola Alvarado, International Exhibition Coordinator for the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism: “Guatemala is a new destination for the Italian traveler, and people are especially interested in cross-country tours. Our operators are satisfied with the business meetings that took place and the promotion of our single-origin coffee, which has a particular aroma, has also been very successful”.
There was a great satisfaction for international buyers too: “Interest in Italy remains high in Europe and continues to grow in Asia,” explains Marco Bacchilega, CEO & Founder of Bakuun.com, a global operator with five branches worldwide. “From Korea, our partners alone already have over 250 thousand arrivals in their portfolio. We appreciate the comprehensiveness of what Bit has to offer, with many new experiential proposals, such as castles with medieval entertainment”.
“In Latin America, there are targets with high purchasing power that represent untapped potential for Italian operators,” says Claudio Fernandez, President of Leisure Express Buenos Aires (Argentina), “for many Latin Americans in particular, Rome is considered the gateway to Europe. In this regard, Bit is an outstanding platform for us to develop this business opportunity with sellers”.
On the potential of emerging destination markets, Robyn Daneel-Spicer, Director of Sure Travel Cape Town (South Africa) is in agreement: “Ours is also a wine country and among South African travelers, there are many producers who want to explore the wine routes. The Italian lifestyle has become popular in recent years and customers are asking us for alternative destinations: the little hamlets, but also the lakes and the Dolomites”.
The content of this year’s edition has also been widely acclaimed, including in the thematic area Bit:Bringing Innovation into Travel by Fiera Milano Media, which focused on two topics: the role of Artificial Intelligence alongside operator care and hospitality in custom travel package development, and the central role of sustainability in cities seeking to attract new talent and more tourists. Over 7000 participants were involved in the 141 events on offer, integrated with information sessions in the specialist zones, and the dozens of presentation and training initiatives organized directly by exhibitors.
The fortieth edition of the exhibition will take place at fieramilanocity from 9 – 11 February 2020.
