The Italian National Tourism Board (ENIT) attended the world’s biggest travel trade show in Berlin last week with representatives from its leading regions
The diversity of Italy’s tourism industry was on full display at the Italia stand in Hall 1.2.
Over the three days of ITB Berlin, industry experts and professionals from the Italian travel industry were highlighted through a series of activites and press conferences at the stand. Starting on the 7th of March, the destination gave visitors a glimpse of what’s to come in 2023 with the hashtag #ThisIsItaly. The kick off press conference was attended by Minister of Tourism Daniela Garnero Santanchè, ENIT CEO Ivana Jelinic, ENIT Board Member and representative of the State-Regions Conference Sandro Pappalardo and H.E. the Italian Ambassador to Germany, Armando Varricchio. There is a long list of internationally celebrated events to look forward to this year, including the Giro bike race, Ryder Cup and the Ocean Race 23, to name just a few.
The regions of Emilia Romagna, Piedmont and Basilicata then presented their respective tourism highlights in turn, including cycling routes and historical mountain trails. They were followed by the regions of Tuscany, Sicily and Calabria who shared the spotlight on Wednesday. The country’s ITA Airways also made an appearance to share some big news about its new routes and new services for 2023. By the end of the year, the company plans to expand its fleet to 96 planes, half of which will be new. With its new and improved fleet, the airline is opening new routes from Rome to San Francisco, Washington, Riyadh, Jeddah and Kuwait City. To mark the occasion, ITA hosted a widely attended aperitif evening after a presentation of “The Most Beautiful Borghi of Italy”, an authoritative guidebook of the 334 most beautiful Italian villages.
On Thursday, Apulia, Brescia and Federterme attracted crowds of visitors to the ENIT press conference stage where they showcased their latest tourism products, including the The RoutNet project, which will see the restoration of 8 public buildings in the region of Puglia and Bergamo Brescia 2023 – Italian Capital of Culture and Italian spas, a unique resource for health, wellness and body care. Finally, the European LGBTQ+ Travel Alliance delivered a hard-hitting presentation on how companies and nations are addressing social and economic sustainability.
The country’s national tourism board has made sustainability a top priority for its travel and tourism industry. Its research suggests that sustainability is playing an increasingly important role in consumers’ decision-making process. Around half of Italians (48%) consider eco-sustainable tourism to be very or quite interesting, as well as environmentally related certifications for travel companies. Similarly, the Italian hospitality sector increasingly believes that slow tourism will be the strong point of their tourism offer in the future.
Read all news about Italia @ ITB Berlin 2023 in the dedicated section online.
