europe regions Q&A on a platform on the Gravina river. The programme will involve more than 8,000


participants, plus all primary and middle school students in the area.


Four major exhibitions will take place, including the first significant investigation into the history of rock architecture, SubCulture, which will examine how this type of dwelling has been used since Palaeolithic times and its future usage. Other exhibitions reveal traces left by the Renaissance in Basilicata and neighbouring Puglia and how maths has influenced artists through the ages. A fourth will examine how human changes to the earth’s climate, land, oceans and biosphere are now such that a new geological age defined by the actions of humans – the Anthropocene – is being mooted.


New visitor itineraries There are some obvious tourism


opportunities using these themes, which have been transposed into


Overnight stays in Italy, 2017 Country of residence of guests


(all countries of the world) Germany France UK


United States Netherlands


Switzerland and Leichtenstein Austria Poland Spain Russia


Source: Market Research and Statistics Office of Enit on data Istat 2018 wtm.com


a series of new visitor itineraries, including a tour of the south’s main cave housing and rock worship sites, a literary trail and Renaissance Reinterpreted – a tour of Middle Age and Baroque art and architecture found nearby Matera. The organisers hope that Matera will


Maria Elena Rossi


Maria Elena Rossi, marketing and promotion director, Italian National Tourist Board (Enit)


How is Italy’s tourism industry doing? What are the country’s most important source markets?


The latest official data indicates a general growth in the total number of arrivals (+5.3%) and nights spent (+4.4%) in 2017 compared to 2016. The positive


trend is apparent among all types of accommodation. The top European market for Italy in terms of arrivals is Germany, with 12.2 million arrivals in 2017, an increase of 4.4%. France followed this with 4.5 million (+4.3%) and in third place was the UK, with 3.6 million (+1.7%). However, the United States takes third place overall with 4.9 million arrivals (+9.9%).


reap a lasting legacy from 2018. In 2014, when the plans were drawn up, the city attracted 200,000 visitors, only 30% of whom were international tourists. The goal is to increase this to a 50-50 split by next year, while Matera is planning for a total of 600,000 visitors in 2020. One boost to the region as a whole


comes from easyJet, which is now offering year-round flights to Bari from the UK, with Gatwick services running twice a week this winter for the first time – something that can only add to Matera’s appeal.


In 2014, the official estimate was that


there were 21,000 tourist beds in the province of Basilicata, in which Matera sits. In the city itself, there were 2,600, with supply then in line with demand. That may well change after 2019 – investors may regard Matera as something of a hotspot in the years to come.


Are you targeting new markets such as China and the Middle East? Italy recorded three million arrivals from China in 2017, an increase of almost 15%. China is now our fifth-biggest source market. We are the top European destination for overseas markets in the Schengen Area and the marketing activities of Enit are oriented to specific targets. These include FITs plus affluent and special interest groups such as food and wine, nature, sports and adventure.


Southern Italy seems to be increasingly popular; is this an area you are actively promoting? Enit is cooperating with the Southern Italian regions in several marketing activities to support brand positioning, especially for target markets such as families, and to develop better connections with the main markets.


Nights spent


59,327,839 13,629,514 13,252,332 12,659,011 10,918,181 10,810,696 9,436,079 5,528,454 5,175,006 5,075,809


How important have budget airlines been? As in most countries, low-cost airlines have been crucial for tourism growth. Italy has an extended network of airports, from north to south, allowing excellent connections to all cities and regions. This is a great opportunity for further development of tourism arrivals in lesser-known areas, with great potential and helps towards a better distribution of visitors in all seasons.


What is Italy’s 2019 marketing strategy? Are there any central themes?


Next year Italy will be celebrating the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci. Also in 2019, Enit celebrates 100 years since its foundation. The focus of the marketing strategy will be value growth: the value of our proposal to existing and new markets and innovation of tourism products, focusing on the experience of the Italian way of life. The strategy will involve both the leisure and the meetings industry.


autumn 2018 wtm insights 59


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