Milan, 07 February 2024 – The 44th edition of BIT – Borsa Internazionale del Turismo, organised by Fiera Milano, has closed with great attendance figures from the public and huge satisfaction on the part of the over 1,100 exhibitors from 66 countries, as well as the hundreds of highly regarded hosted buyers, brought together from all over the world, with 8,585 one-to-one meetings (+14% compared to 2023).

The significant turnout, with double-digit growth in terms of both visitors and professional operators, with attendees coming from 107 countries, confirm Bit Milano’s standing as a key event for the sector in terms of news, networking and development, as well as the leading global marketplace for Italian offerings. Indeed, the top countries by visitor origin were Switzerland, the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Egypt, China, the United Arab Emirates and India.

The event has become increasingly international, with a cosmopolitan, qualified and business-minded audience that enthusiastically filled the Bit 24 pavilions. This is the result of an exhibition concept and format (B2B and B2C) that has demonstrated in recent years an ability to react and adapt to trends and the market, interpreting the demands of professionals, but also of travellers, who are increasingly discerning and curious.  Personalisation, authenticity and year-round appeal are at the forefront of the desires of travellers, who also express a strong awareness of environmental and social sustainability issues.

The involvement of top experts, institutions, universities and major multimedia platforms, through the Bringing Innovation into Travel panel meetings, conceived with the support of Business International, the Knowledge Unit of Fiera Milano, and the numerous events organised by the exhibitors, added to the offer with key discussions on topics such as the future of tour operators, over-tourism, food and wine tourism, fuel, prices, digitalisation and AI, as well as training.

The media response was also excellent and showed growth on the previous edition, both from social networks, with hundreds of posts and stories dedicated to the world inside Bit, and from the press, radio and television, which covered the event with numerous correspondents, analysing the phenomenon of tourism in all its facets.

The best Bit so far, including for private operators

There were many major new features this year, from the alliance with Welcome Travel Group, which was present at Bit with its extensive network of agents, prominent partners and its members Alpitour World and Costa Crociere; to the partnership between Bit Milano and Federterme-Confindustria, which set up a dedicated area, Thermalia, within the event for the first time.

"This edition was the best so far," said Adriano Apicella, CEO of Welcome Travel Group. "We held our annual convention here, which attracted 2,000 participants. The programme was extremely full and included professional opportunities with plenaries and evenings to build relationships and establish initiatives for the summer season."

Italian offering projected to the world

Increasingly international and receptive to the trends of the travel market as a whole, Bit never fails to cement its mission as the most important global marketplace for the Italian offering.

A successful example of this aspect of the event was provided by Emilia Romagna. Alberto Sabatini, Head of Communications Italy (Rimini office), Apt Emilia-Romagna, explained: “For us, Bit is a lively, dynamic and future-focused exhibition. We have been at the Borsa del Turismo since the early editions – for our operators it has always been a strategic event. Our operators are also very satisfied with the additional meetings they managed fit in.”

Significant presence from abroad

Bit 24 was a space for interconnection, visibility and relaunching, including for many foreign destinations. This vibrant enthusiasm was supported by this year's returning countries, such as Japan. "To describe Bit in three words: dynamism, diversity and passion,” said Noritsgu Yusa, Commercial Manager JNTO, National Japanese Tourism Organisation.

Encouraging signs also came from the Middle East, which were reinforced by its presence at the event: "Italians are the top market in terms of arrivals and stays in Jordan and they are most welcome,” confirmed Nadia Pasqual, Media Relations & PR, JORDAN TOURISM BOARD. “This edition was intense, lively, very satisfying and full of meetings with operators, journalists, influencers and content creators."

The comments from the stands for long-haul destinations were in the same vein: "The audience was interesting, including for the medium and high spenders, especially during the first two days,” explained Tiziana Gennari, Anguilla Tourist Board. "We decided to come to Bit for the public, because the trade shows are very important for tourists. We are part of this world and it is important to be here. Its strong point is its position in Milan, where it is easier to control logistics costs and where there are more travel and press agencies."

Profitable meetings between top international buyers and sellers

The satisfaction of the hosted buyers from 52 countries, representing all continents (in particular Europe, North America, Asia, Central and South America, the Middle East, Italy, the CIS countries and Africa) is further testimony to the success of the event. Here are some testimonials from operators in Europe and the rest of the world.

"I found the event interesting, very comprehensive and fun,” explained Luana Ventura of Travelzoo (Europe) Limited (Germany Branch). “I had a long list of appointments; I found interesting solutions and was able to speak with the business contacts that I wanted to meet."

 “It was a very interesting exhibition in terms of meetings,” said Eu Chai Huang, Director of Ergo: Travel (Singapore), “with excellent opportunities for face-to-face meetings and networking. Our travellers are interested in food and wine, experiential products with a strong historical-cultural element – I found what I was looking for here. I can describe Bit as a beautiful, intense and decidedly well-organised event.”

“There were many travel agencies, hospitality companies and high-level events: this helps us stay up to date on the industry and connected to both trends and partners in this region of the world. Europe is one of the most important regions in terms of sales, and Italy is one of the most sought-after nations from this perspective," concluded Arijit Mookerjee of Rezlive (UAE).

The 45th edition will be held in Milan from Sunday 9 to Tuesday 11 February 2025.