Work for BIT 2024 continues apace, with new participations from both Italy and abroad. The foreign response is indeed solid, with great returns such as Japan, Tokyo City, China, and renewed confirmations such as Barbados, Cuba, Jordan, Israel, Tunisia; but Italy also appears as always well represented, from north to south, with several regions already on board.

Basilicata is one of those regions that has a lot to tell. And to teach. With its breathtaking mountainous landscapes, historical and cultural sites such as Matera, a gastronomic offering rich in authentic local specialties, it has seen its incoming flows grow greatly in recent years, especially international ones, becoming one of Italy's most sought-after destinations.

And it is precisely thanks to the foreign presence that, according to data collected by the APT Basilicatastatistical system, the first half of 2023 has collected significantly positive results. In fact, between the months of January and June, there was a 25% increase in arrivals and 22% increase in presences compared to the same period in 2022, along with a 52% increase in foreign arrivals, with a corresponding +44% increase in presences. Accomplice to a proactive regional tourism policy, these numbers are also significantly higher than in 2019: with a 35 % growth in foreign travelers and +23 % growth in overall attendance. In short, each of the areas in the region experienced at least a double digit percentage increase.

"If the increase in domestic tourists may be due in part to the appeal of the region with the lowest inflation in Italy," said Antonio Nicoletti, APT director, "the figure on foreign markets is the result of constant activities carried out even during the Covid period, and aimed at opening up new opportunities for our offerings, which is not only the beaches, with almost every coast featuring a blue flag, but also unspoiled environment, villages, food and wine, culture and adrenaline, in an original mix to be discovered slowly.

"This is a demonstration," Nicoletti continued, "of how important it is to address diverse targets, in addition to the domestic one. This is precisely the most important aspect of these six months: never have so many foreigners been guests in our facilities, and they are distributed throughout the region and not only in the most well-known areas. The quality of our offerings certainly contributed to this, with the visibility offered by the achievements of our cities and towns."

The positive numbers for the first half of 2023 are certainly the results of an intense campaign of events and programs to enhance the area and promoted by the region for some time now. Last but not least, we launched a call this summer through APT Basilicata to join the so-called "Passion Tourism."

Five thematic areas have been identified in this project, so far in experimental mode: Fairy tales and magic, for all activities that hold an identity and anthropological connection with Basilicata; Music and landscape, to represent a virtuous relationship with the territory; Sailing and sea to include sports and maritime activities; Wild herbs and flowers, or the set of naturalistic landscapes that characterize the region; and finally, Astronomy, a spokesperson area for the space research centers present in Basilicata.

Basilicata's participation in BIT is tangible proof of its ongoing commitment to promoting the region on a national and international level, but it also demonstrates the positive effect of innovative initiatives in capturing the interest of visitors from all over the world by taking full advantage of local culture, natural beauty and authenticity.