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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW<br />
11<br />
ITALY IS THE FIRST EUROPEAN<br />
DESTINATION FOR CHINESE<br />
TOURISTS, ATTRACTING 3.1 MILLION<br />
ARRIVALS FOR MORE THAN 5<br />
MILLION OVERNIGHT STAYS<br />
Giorgio Palmucci<br />
President of ENIT<br />
Celebrating culture and<br />
travel… together<br />
Italy, Official Partner Destination of <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>China</strong> announces strategic plans for<br />
future tourism development<br />
Italy’s national tourism board, ENIT, is at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>China</strong> with a mission. As<br />
Official Partner Destination of the event, the aim is not only to raise<br />
awareness, but to reach specific goals for future tourism development.<br />
We asked Giorgio Palmucci, President of ENIT, to explain.<br />
ENIT is Official Partner Destination<br />
of <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>China</strong> for many strategical<br />
reasons. Firstly, 2020 will be<br />
the Year of Culture and Tourism<br />
between Italy and <strong>China</strong>. We are<br />
thus organising many promotional<br />
activities and events in order to<br />
diffuse and communicate new<br />
Italian destinations to this tourism<br />
market that fosters ever growing<br />
numbers of arrivals in Italy. ENIT<br />
is working in terms of “best brand”<br />
positioning and with operative<br />
marketing actions, enhancing<br />
our brand awareness on<br />
WeChat targeting to Millennials,<br />
Families, Multigenerational<br />
groups, interested in lifestyle,<br />
culture, travel and Made in Italy.<br />
Furthermore, we are furnishing<br />
content to the platform Taobao of<br />
Alibaba for the review “Gocce di<br />
Italia”.<br />
How are you working with Chinese<br />
outbound travel professionals<br />
(TOs and TAs)?<br />
We recently signed an agreement<br />
with Shanghai Ctrip Commerce<br />
Co. Ltd., aiming to identify<br />
common strategies to promote<br />
tourism destinations and increase<br />
the number of Chinese tourists<br />
in Italy, facilitating networking<br />
opportunities and supporting<br />
Italian Regions and operators.<br />
What are ENIT’s goals in terms<br />
of Chinese visitors in the coming<br />
years?<br />
ENIT is working hardly to reach<br />
a growing rate in tourism nights,<br />
expecting at least +10% of new<br />
tourism stays for 2020, and still in<br />
<strong>2019</strong> our studies and intelligence<br />
tools forecast a major further<br />
growth. Actually, Italy is the<br />
first European destination for<br />
Chinese tourists, attracting 3.1<br />
million arrivals for more than 5<br />
million overnight stays in Italian<br />
accommodations.<br />
How is the way Chinese tourists<br />
perceive Italy evolving?<br />
Chinese tourists are looking for<br />
new important places to visit,<br />
meaning that destinations may<br />
also be less famous, but not<br />
less important for their cultural<br />
heritage, natural beauty and<br />
tourism hospitality.<br />
What destinations are trending -<br />
outside of the “great classics” like<br />
Rome, Florence, Venice etc.?<br />
Destinations such as Naples,<br />
Amalfi, Pompei, Sorrento, Capri,<br />
and others in Sicily are the new<br />
trending destinations in the South<br />
of Italy. In Northern Italy, Chinese<br />
tourists are increasingly visiting<br />
different places like Verona,<br />
Turin, Genova, Bologna, Siena or<br />
the most famous one for Italian<br />
wines such as the Barolo area in<br />
Piedmont and San Gimignano in<br />
Tuscany.<br />
What can visitors discover at your<br />
stand at <strong>ITB</strong> <strong>China</strong>?<br />
Our stand is showing some of<br />
the best destinations of our<br />
country, from the northern-east<br />
Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto<br />
Regions to Piedmont in the west.<br />
Tuscany will be present together<br />
with Apulia, too. Each destination<br />
is a treasure trove of “food for<br />
thought” for the travellers who<br />
aim to come to Italy, thanks to<br />
their varied offer, which will ensure<br />
is a good combination between<br />
“blockbuster” destinations and<br />
new trending places. On a more<br />
flavoursome note, we will be<br />
offering a drink-tasting experience<br />
on some afternoons with a<br />
showcase of Vermouth making.<br />
Are you doing any other events at<br />
the show?<br />
Yes of course. As we are Official<br />
Partner Destination, we have been<br />
glad to co-sponsor the Opening<br />
Gala Evening held on May 14th.<br />
But we’ll have our specific event,<br />
too: in fact, on May 16, the “Italian<br />
Dream Night” is expected to bring<br />
our guests (around 200 selected<br />
stakeholders in the travel field)<br />
to a dreamy night, with Italian<br />
music, the presentation of some<br />
regions, Italian wines and an allencompassing<br />
Italian mood.<br />
Added value will come through the<br />
participation of Arena di Verona,<br />
who will brighten-up both the<br />
Gala Evening and the Italian night<br />
with exclusive live performances,<br />
representing our culture through<br />
one of the most acknowledged<br />
points of our heritage, that of<br />
music<br />
KEYNOTE<br />
Giorgio Palmucci,<br />
President of ENIT<br />
15 May <strong>2019</strong>,<br />
10:30 am - 10:50 am<br />
Conference Center,<br />
Room A<br />
<strong>ITB</strong> CHINA NEWS • Wednesday 15 th May <strong>2019</strong>
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