Slow and sustainable travel, metaverse, traveller centrality: the themes of Bit 2022

Yesterday ended the 2022 edition of the Bit in Milan, the most important national tourism exchange that this year returns in presence and starts again from the FieraMilano pavilions with more than 1,000 exhibitors (15% from abroad from 35 countries) offering a world tour showcase in three days with the opportunity to make meetings aimed at business with intenazional players.Sustainable innovation is the common thread running through the thematic areas of the event, with focus on the new way of slow, sustainable and responsible travel; there was no shortage of cutting-edge and futuristic topics such as the impact of the metaverse and the prospects of space travel, customer experience and big data, predictive marketing and traveler centrality. Top Italian distributors and highly profiled buyers from forty-seven countries representing all the most relevant types were present, particularly from Europe (36%) and North America (16%), as well as Central and South America, the Middle East and Africa. Top countries of origin: the United States, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain. In addition to 90 conferences to analyze and prospect trends in Italian tourism: the rich schedule of conferences, conventions and in-depth seminars with the main theme Bringing Innovation Into Travel that will run through five macro-areas: Hot Topics, Food Travel, Travel Lab, Sustainability, and Travel Tech.

Innovation and sustainability are the leitmotifs of BIT 2022 in the international offerings as well: from the parks and nature experiences of our European neighbors such as the Canary Islands, Formentera, Germany, Greece, Malta, Romania, San Marino, and Slovenia, to eco-sustainable resorts in the South Seas of Cuba, Maldives, Malaysia, Mauritius, and Thailand; from spectacular excursions to Egypt, Jordan, India, Iran, Israel, or Morocco to socially responsible vacations in Brazil or Chile, with a special mention for the American “great outdoors” represented by Visit USA.

“The signs are reassuring. People are longing for normality, for travel, for a return to as close as possible to what they used to experience before the pandemic,” Luca Palermo, managing director and general manager of Fiera Milano, organizer of the event, tells Corriere.

The highlight of this edition is the presentation of theGoogle Observatory on Digital Tourism: in fact, more than 70 percent of people today search for information and book online. Experts from the search engine came to Milan to illustrate how to focus traffic on their sites, using Google’s information and tools strategically.

One of the keys to the new Travel will certainly be the increasing professionalism of operators. Also in this area are the areas of slow, green tourism and dictate the pace of change, and for this, in a post-Covid perspective and in light of the new demand for security, concrete case studies were presented such as the pilot project “Progetto Borghi.” Which are becoming a great opportunity to boost Italy’s attractiveness. The aftermath of the pandemic and international uncertainties are leading to the rediscovery of outdoor proximity vacations. Locations in the green, away from the crowds, among art, tradition, good food and relaxation. A survey by the research institute Demoskopika has provided a timely analysis of the upcoming tourist with estimates for this 2022 (based on the tourist tax detectable by the SIOPE public bodies’ operations information system and recent ISTAT forecasts for 2021. The survey conducted between April 5 and April 7, covered a representative sample of 800 Italians over the age of 18 living in Italy). About 92 million arrivals and nearly 343 million presences are expected among Italians and foreigners, with a growth of 43 percent and 35 percent, respectively, compared to 2021. An upward trend, then, although still far from the 2019 scenario compared to which overnight stays are still expected to mark -21.4 percent and arrivals -29.6 percent.

Positive effect is also expected on tourism spending: 26 billion expected, up 11.8 percent compared to 2021. For Tourism Minister Massimo Garavaglia “these are good figures, but I am convinced that we will still improve. Already last year we saw the phenomenon of last-second booking, but this year it is still amplified. Then the effect of digital has also increased. That’s why we have to act on all levers. For example, one that has not yet been considered, but which we are working on, is the revision and simplification of Tax Free because shopping is also a great vehicle of attraction. We are in Milan, among the most visited cities also for shopping.” The minister then announced that “in October we are ready together with the regions to rewrite the Strategic Tourism Plan. The only concern I have about the NRP is that there will be measures that will not pull and therefore resources are likely to remain in the drawer. Flexibility would be needed, that is, turning resources that are not being used where there is more demand instead.”

Almost 30 million Italians (51 percent of the total) have chosen to pack their bags and go on vacation for the next few months, according to Demoskopika. Nine million (16 percent of the total) have already booked a vacation, mostly in the 18-35 age group, while 35 percent are planning a vacation for the remainder of this year. 18 percent of respondents while expressing interest in going away say they are currently undecided.

Among destinations Vacation in Italy prevails: 9 out of 10 Italians. The war and again the pandemic still greatly condition: of the 31% of compatriots who have given up their vacation for the coming months, 10% do so for fear of the effects of the conflict in Ukraine and 8% for the persistence of Covid and its variants. The choice of the seaside, indicated by as many as 57% of Italians, also prevails for the 2022 vacations, but also ’returning’ are the cities of art so in decline in recent pandemic years. Nearly 1 in 4 Italians (23%) also opt for the ’nature vacation. “Tourism as we knew it until recently is probably, if not permanently, hibernating. In this direction, the system needs to undergo a profound transformation in terms of sustainability in order to respond adequately to the new purchasing behaviors of tourists generated by the pandemic emergency,” says Demoskopika president Raffaele Rio.

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