BitMilano2020: 40th anniversary

The 40th anniversary edition of BitMilano is going to start: the most important event in the world of tourism, to be held at fieramilanocity on 9 to 11 February 2020. The event, characterised by its strong international configuration in terms of exhibitors, business opportunities and information, is preparing a rich programme of contents to consolidate the results of previous editions.

Exhibitors are confirming their participation in 2020, marking a positive trend with reconfirmations by international tourism Institutions and Italian region. The organisers are highly satisfied with the ratification of their participation by, among many others, the Brazilian state of Cearà, Cyprus, Croatia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Morocco and Tunisia and, locally, almost all Italian regions, including habitual participants like Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria and Veneto, along with numerous cities, consortia and mountain municipalities.

Private exhibitors are also attending in large numbers, highlighting the increased diversification of sectors. Confirmed players include: Incoming, Hapimag, Land of Fashion (with Franciacorta Outlet and 4 other brands), and hotel chains NH Hoteles, Ramada and Space Hotel, to name just a few.

A foundation stone of BitMilano 2020, ever more able to make the difference, is its capacity to provide a full spectrum overview of the market, thanks to its position as the only Italian exhibition to offer the b2b and b2c multitarget formula. This format multiplies business opportunities, enabling players to obtain a good return on investment, thanks both to b2b initiatives – such as hosted buyer programmes and the dedicated MyMatching app, or exclusive training for travel agencies – and to the day open to the public, scheduled for Sunday 9 February. The large number of entrances last year demonstrated enormous interest in Bit even among modern travellers looking for new destinations, original experiences and new opportunities for sharing. In fact the claim Happiness is a Journey remains topical, with its reference to the theme of the journey experienced first hand with optimism and the desire to discover and find oneself. 

The exhibition, which has been evolving every year, has also confirmed the thematic sections: Bit4Job, dedicated to recruiting for the tourism industry; BeTech, focused on digital technologies and StartUps; I love Wedding, with every service for future wedding couples and planners; and MICE Village, the Meeting Industry section, which BitMilano is the only Italian exhibition to host.

“We are very pleased to see that interest in Bit2020 is continuing to grow,” says Simona Greco, Group Owned Exhibition Director for Fiera Milano – “since we are aiming to reinforce Milan’s reputation as one of the world capitals of tourism in this, the 40th year of the fair.”

 Bit’s link with Milan, a leading city for the national exhibitions industry as well as for Italian and international tourism, is indeed stronger than ever: the Lombardy capital is the only Italian city among the top 20 most visited cities in the world, coming in at number 16, with 9.10 million visitors in 2018 and forecast growth of 2.02% for 2019, as reported by Global Destination Cities Index 2019 (source: MasterCard), although this number has already been surpassed by the figures published by the Milan Tourism Board which, by mid-2019, had already counted over 5 million visitors to the city, up by around 7.5% per monthly average over 2018.

More than simply the setting for regular global events from Fashion Week to Design Week among many others, it is often chosen for occasional events like the 37 Annual Conference of IGLTA – the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association – to be held next May, thanks in part to joint promotion with BitMilano in previous editions, and the upcoming World Routes 2020, which will bring together the world’s airlines and airports at MICo, Milan next September. Milan is thus highly attractive not just for business – it is also the capital of Italian locations chosen by the Meeting Industry in 2018, as reported by the OICE study – but also for leisure tourism.

The 40th anniversary edition will also be the occasion for events related to the other side of Bit, conferences: the new edition will offer a rich programme of more than 70 meetings touching four different thematic areas: Training, Technology, Hot Topics, and Food and Wine Tourism – to offer even more opportunities to participants and visitors. The new Report on Food and Wine Tourism (curated by Prof. Garibaldi) is sure to earn interest, as will the XXIII Italian Tourism Report, sponsored by IRISS (the Research Institute for Innovation and Services for Development) of CNR (the National Research Council), a document which serves both as a reference and a guideline for strategic choices and policies in tourism.

“We are working to create even more value in our dual function, bearing in mind the requirements of both exhibitors and the public, in the knowledge that the unique strength of Bit lies precisely in its ability to respond to them with dedicated initiatives,” concludes Simona Greco.