Digital nomads working from a cabin in the mountains or on a white sandy beach. A new concept of luxury understood as well-being and time for oneself. The growing interest in local destinations, with their offer of food and wine, culture and art. The last two years have accentuated some trends already in place and launched new ones. With a common denominator: increasingly sustainable and responsible travel.

The new centrality of sustainable tourism is also verified by the data. According to the 2020 report by the UniVerde Foundation, for 74% of Italians sustainable tourism is the safest in the post-Covid phase, while 71% consider it more ethically right and closer to nature and 84% also see it as an opportunity for economic development

Proposals to support the relaunch of tourism in a sustainable way will be the protagonists at BIT 2022, at fieramilanocity from Sunday 13 to Tuesday 15 February. In particular, sustainability will be one of the macro-areas of the rich programme of events and will be present, as a cross-cutting theme, in the entire programme.

We discuss recovery plans in connection with sustainability, for example, but how to achieve it? It will be discussed in 'Pnrr and territorial business networks: the great opportunity for circular development', with insights on proximity tourism, provision of funds and synergies between public and private actors. Sustainability as a social issue as well as environmental, will be addressed in 'Travel as an ethical approach to the territory and its resources'.

Among the trends that have emerged strongly in recent months, that of the "digital nomads", in the event 'Bleisure and the new dimensions of travel in a logic respectful of biodiversity', will be presented as a relaunch opportunity for business travel. 'The reality of space travel: players, first departures, expanding the customer experience' will finally address the adventurous conquest of further layers of the atmosphere.

And again, the event 'Food and wine tourism, greener, more inclusive and social' in the Food Travel theme area will be an example of how sustainability is transversal to the entire programme: the event will explain how in this sector travellers feel a growing desire to participate in experiences marked by a green approach.

But the commitment does not end with giving visibility to sustainable tourism proposals. BIT 2022 will also adopt more sustainable practices in the preparation and implementation of the event: for example, with the use of more easily recyclable or reusable materials and initiatives to reduce energy consumption, with a view to a future certification process too. The same practices will also be promoted and facilitated for application by exhibitors.