If thanks to the exhibition itinerary travelers and professional visitors to BIT 2023 - at Allianz MiCo in Milan from Sunday 12 to Tuesday 14 February - will be able to travel through space, with the Bringing Innovation Into Travel format they will be able to travel through time. As a matter of fact, the rich schedule of events will be full of anticipations on the future of Travel, ranging from meetings with major international figures to professionalizing workshops aimed at developing business, inspired by the macro-themes Megatrends, Innovation, Sustainability, Quality and Inclusion.

Big names for big trends

Major trends will be the center of discussion in appointments such as Territories and metaverse, an analysis of how the virtual experience can pave the way to the real world, or, from a slow and sustainable perspective, Nature Tourism: the awareness of 'useful' travelers, so as to foster territories to get the best out of the growing desire to be immersed in nature. There will be no shortage of insights into the most promising segments such as The Age of Bleisure: not just for business, a hybrid travel formula that is experiencing a revival after the pandemic, or Incoming and Neighborhood Tourism, an opportunity to revisit local areas as a reservoir of sustainable experiences.

Appointments dedicated to the Italian product will include, for example, Made in Italy, great events and territory, which will present tomorrow's tourism in the vision of its protagonists, or MICE, high-end Italy, to describe the opportunities of business tourism from a more luxury perspective, or Pnrr and tourism planning of territories, which will take stock of the touristic potential of the Plan.

Digital under the spotlight: here comes TikTok

Technology and digital transformation represent another major challenge for the industry, and the schedule will propose several dedicated events. 4.0 technologies and augmented reality will be discussed in The new tools that will change travel forever, but also in Digital Nomads: the new challenge of destinations, with new proposals and start-ups to enhance the growing segment of remote professionals, or Travel technology, success starts with seamless travel, a discussion on how to automate processes with an eye on sustainability and CSR.

TikTok, the short video platform favored by young people that attracts audiences of all ages and is becoming a social commerce and search engine, will be among the digital leaders featured in this edition. Here's how Francesco Sommariva, Director of Growth Partnerships, TikTok Italy, describes the latest trends: “The desire to travel is now stronger than ever, we can see it reflected on the platform. Between 2020 and 2021, the 'travel' category saw a 172% increase in views, and the trend is still growing. Users come to the platform to be entertained, to find news and inspiration, and brands need to meet these needs. Our suggestion is to think about how to entertain and inform the audience, proposing relevant content that reveals new destinations, hidden gems and the next dream adventure. Another tip is to give value to the platform's trends, such as discovering unfamiliar places, things to do in the city and travel tips, in order to capitalize on a community united by a common interest. And that's when campaigns turn into engaging solicitations able stimulate users to think about their next trip.”

“On TikTok, communities of interest are able to bring together different generations – continues Sommariva –  it’s the so-called 'Gen T'(Generation TikTok) that with respect to traveling seeks narratives united by authenticity. In addition, we see popular trends with respect to solo travel, eco-sustainability, luxury and adventure travel. To cite one among many, that of #tiraccontolitalia, whose hashtag has collected a total of 563 million views and thousands of video posts, promoting the discovery or rediscovery of cities and towns of the peninsula. It’s clear how TikTok has become a favorite destination for Italian travelers, who find inspiration to go out and explore, both domestically and internationally.”

Explore the full calendar of events at BIT 2023 and find topics of your interest!