Italian Convention Tourism Soars With Double-Digit Development

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Italian convention tourism is booming, with a 12% improve in occasions and a 31.9% rise in attendance, signaling a robust post-COVID restoration within the sector.

The Italian convention tourism sector is flourishing alongside the upswing in leisure tourism, marked by a notable improve within the variety of conferences and enterprise occasions hosted in Italy. This development is highlighted by the findings of the Italian Survey of Conferences and Occasions [Osservatorio Italiano dei Congressi e degli Eventi-OICE], a examine supported by the conferences trade affiliation Federcongressi&eventi and carried out by the Graduate Faculty of Economics and Worldwide Relations at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – ASERI.

The analysis reveals that 340,057 occasions passed off in Italy in 2023, reflecting a 12% rise from 2022. The entire variety of delegates reached 27,152,890, marking a 28% improve, whereas general attendance hit 41,835,932, a 31.9% leap in comparison with the earlier 12 months.

These indicators exhibit vital double-digit development, indicating that post-COVID-19, corporations are as soon as once more closely investing in occasions akin to conventions, conferences, and product launches as key advertising and marketing and retention methods. Moreover, associations, significantly within the medical-scientific discipline, have resumed internet hosting congresses to disseminate and promote information and innovation.

The sturdy well being of the Italian convention tourism sector is evidenced by the 12% development fee in 2023, which is 3 times the pre-COVID annual common of 4.1%. Notably, attendance at multi-day occasions surged by greater than 50% from 2022. Projections for the present 12 months additionally counsel continued development in each the variety of occasions and revenues.

“The Italian MICE industry is in good health and within this trend, we can see a  phase of profound change in the meetings industry,” feedback  Federcongressi&eventi President Gabriella Gentile. “Events and conference today  are increasingly high quality and therefore require cutting-edge venues in terms of  services and technology, along with trained and constantly updated staff. At the same  time, large tourism flows and the consequent increase in hotel occupancy rates in  destinations historically associated with MICE is prompting organisers to choose  venues outside the more established circuits for events and conferences, thus  promoting the off-season and the relocation of tourism.”

Conferences and Occasions in Italy: Places and Organizers

The vast majority of conferences and occasions in Italy happen within the North, accounting for 59%, adopted by Central Italy with 24.7%, the South with 10.2%, and the Islands with 6.1%.

Relating to venues, convention motels are the preferred, internet hosting 77.8% of complete occasions. Convention facilities and commerce truthful convention venues account for 3.1% of occasions, exhibiting the best development since 2022 in each the variety of occasion days (+33.9%) and attendance (+54.7%). Non-hotel historic residences akin to abbeys, castles, previous inns, farmhouses, historic buildings, and villas hosted 2.5% of occasions.

When it comes to organizers, corporations lead by organizing 66.3% of occasions, a rise of 13.5 factors from the earlier survey. Associations observe, accounting for 22.3% of occasions.

As for delegates’ origins, with the lifting of pandemic restrictions, each worldwide occasions (with a big variety of delegates from overseas) and nationwide occasions (with delegates from exterior the area) have resumed. Nevertheless, about half of the occasions and conferences stay native, attracting delegates primarily from the identical area by which the occasion is held, per earlier years.

Scientific Head of the Survey Roberto Nelli, lecturer in advertising and marketing on the  Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore commented:“The research results highlight  two fundamental aspects of the Italian meetings industry. First, the development of  conference and event venues, which testifies to the process of change taking place  within the structure of the offer, which is progressively reshaping itself to adapt to  changing market demand. Secondly, the vibrancy of the regions, which are  increasingly leveraging their cultural vocation – think of the municipalities that fall  within the “Grande Bellezza” [Great Beauty] cluster, residence to the 44% of venues that  host 54% of the entire variety of occasion delegates in Italy – and the varied  manufacturing specialisations of native networks, from “Made in Italy” (which, with  22% of venues, hosts 19% of occasion delegates) to city programs with a excessive diploma of  specialisation in service actions, by which 18% of venues are situated, accounting  for 27% of complete delegates, a transparent signal of how a lot the conferences trade can  contribute to the event of companies from the angle of the community  financial system.”