Greater focus on last-minute and last-second tourism, re-evaluation of local tourism and territories, increasing attention to experience for slow, naturalistic and responsible tourism, growth of the advisory role of the VAs are just some of the tricks up the sleeve of operators in the sector to revitalise tourism in the new normal.

Isabella Maggi, Marketing and Communication Director of the Gattinoni Group, looks to innovation: "We are increasing targeted communications through digital tools and are equipping our agencies with new operational instruments. We are looking to the future. We are reviewing the product range and the type of travel that has changed in this period. Today we are addressing families, newlyweds, groups, tourists in search of experiences and operators. They will be the focus of the next few months. We are pushing the saleable products in our catalogue by explaining to customers that professionals are working for their safety behind them".

"We are aware that the recovery will not be a return to before", added Ezio Birondi, CEO of Settemari. "We need to reinvent plans and products. We have already added new proposals to the winter catalogue, such as Senegal, Kenya and Zanzibar. The success of beach destinations in Italy this summer went beyond our best expectations and did not give us time to prepare as we would have wanted. We are taking note that the desire to travel resists and we are preparing to respond in the forthcoming months".

Explora, the DMO of Regione Lombardia and UNIONCAMERE Lombardia, analysed these trends in a survey. If more than half (56%) of the interviewed operators considered the summer season lost, the percentage dropped to 17% for the winter season. Most are planning to focus on proximity tourism (Northern and Central Italy) while Germany, France and Switzerland stand out among foreign markets, both for the rest of 2020 and next year.

"Lombardy was by far the Italian Region hit hardest by the COVID emergency, but the summer, in particular the month of August, has given reasons for optimism", explained General Manager Paolo Baccolo. "Tourism has changed. Visitors flocked to our region, especially on weekends, often planning at the last moment. In general, mountains, hills, lakes have seen presences that have at least partially satisfied operators".