BIT (Borsa Internazionale Tourism Exchange), Italy's most important annual tourism mart, takes place at Fieramilano (Milan Fair) between the 16-19 February 2012. This year's edition has 5000 exhibitors from 128 countries, with a rich programme of seminars, workshops and various entertainments and events.
44,000 tourism professionals are expected to attend, as well as 46,000 travellers and members of the public. The tourism industry is of prime importance to Italy, representing 10% of GNP and employing 2.5 million people.
This year's edition is seen as a crucial opportunity to relaunch the image of Italy after the weak results of 2011 and the Concordia cruise ship disaster. Pier Luigi Celli, the newly appointed director of ENIT, the creaking and outmoded Italian state tourism department, is dedicated to restructuring and modernizing the organization and encouraging a wider hospitality spread. He states that the Italian South is penalized by poor infrastructure and limited access. He hopes Italy can compensate the drop in domestic travel, due to the present economic crisis, by an increase in the incoming market. Opinion polls, in fact, demonstrate that foreigners continue to show great interest in Italy as a holiday destination, but an upgrading in standards is imperative. Italy has 40,000 hotels, but only 400 of these are 5-star standard, mostly concentrated in the north and centre.
The UNWTO (United Nations Tourism agency) estimates that in 2012, over a billion people will travel in the world, an increase of 3-4% over 2011.
