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| Conference activity grows in Italy, with both delegate numbers and revenues up. Government involvement needed for further development |
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Italy’s conference business registered substantial growth in the first half of 2007, according to the Osservatorio Congressuale Italiano that monitors the country’s meeting and conference market. Its report, written by the University of Bologna (master’s in management and development of tourism services) and sponsored by the Rimini Convention Bureau and Meeting e Congressi, was presented at the end of November at the BTC in Rome.
First, some figures. According to the report, in the first half of 2007, 51,137 meetings were held (+2.87% compared to the same period of 2006), with 13,669,536 participants (+12.87%) and 18,753,981 conference days (+26.55%). The average size of events also increased (+9.43%), as did the average length of guest stay (+16.7%). Conference revenues rose 17%, compared to a negative trend in other tourism sectors, which saw a 0.3% drop in numbers. Cities remain the favourite destinations, but smaller towns are registering strong growth. Demand mainly comes from corporate organisations, but is also rising among sports associations, religious organisations and political bodies.
“Italy is not however making the most of its destinations’ potential in the international arena, where it is in fact losing market share”, commented author of the report Attilio Gardini of the University of Bologna, who believes that the country needs to be repositioned on the global market. “An example: in 2007 we welcomed 3,300,300 international delegates, compared to 4,210,000 which we “exported” abroad. Or in other words, EUR 569 million going out, versus EUR 416 million coming in”.
“We need to take the first steps now to create an international branch of ENIT”, said Adolfo Parodi, chairman of Federcongressi, the federation of Italian meetings industry associations. “The government must give a clear signal that it intends to refinance Italia for Events, the promotional organisation that has proved able to group the country's regions together and take destination Italy to the overseas markets”.
December 2007
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