It is behind the United States in the ranking of favorite countries for meeting tourism. Work trips classify the peninsula as a European destination for preferences for congressional tourism. The data was announced at the fair specialized in meeting tourism in Frankfurt, IMEX 2024, where the Italian stand was present.
Sustainability assumes an increasingly important role not only at the fair, but also in the entire MICE sector: many suppliers have adapted to this aspect in several ways, involving regional partners with local products, ecological use of resources or circular economy.
The 5 cities of preference for meeting tourism are: Rome, Milan, Florence, Naples and Bologna.
It should be noted that in Rome there is one of the outstanding attractions of Italy, the Roman Colosseum, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World since 2007, considered one of the most visited tourist places in the country. The Colosseum or Flavian Amphitheatre is an amphitheater from the time of the Roman Empire, built in the 1st century.
As for meeting tourism, the peninsula offers everything from culinary experiences and unusual activities to well-equipped infrastructure to make business trips a successful experience, both for congresses, meetings, events, incentives or other business trips.
For business events with many participants in personalized incentives, for example, activities are offered in nature or in one of the picturesque cities of art, Italy is an ideal destination for MICE, easily accessible and suitable for any type of business trip thanks to a wide range of offers and products. It is no coincidence that Italy is also one of the most popular destinations for the Bleisure, because those who have had the opportunity to get to know the beauty of the surroundings during their work trip are happy to stop longer.
“Italy guides the tourism of the Congress in Europe and ranks second in the world. This relevant result attests to the commitment and credibility of our nation worldwide. The choice of Italy as a place for international conferences shows that it is not only attractive for conventional tourists, but also for those who participate in events of this type,” said the Minister of Tourism of Italy, Daniela Santanché.
“A surprising Italy with market segments that are developing in an increasingly better way, since the 2023 ranking places Italy in the first place of meeting tourism in Europe, surpassing Spain and in second place in the world after the United States,” said Alessandra Priante, president of ENIT.
“Italian cities stand out, they have become an international reference point for business travel and hospitality of meeting and event tourism. This is a nation that is a concentrate of potential and that asserts itself more and more on the international scene. Italy is competitive worldwide and this will allow it to attract a selected and high-level audience composed of professionals, experts and decision markers from around the world,” said Ivana Jelinic of Enit.