Italy is encouraging travel agents to promote the destination to Millennial and Gen Z travellers as it senses the potential to grow UK visitor numbers.
The UK and Ireland represent the country’s third-largest source market and this year’s visitor numbers are expected to surpass those of 2023.
Yet further growth remains possible, according to Maria Elena Rossi, director of marketing and promotion at the Italian National Tourist Board (ENIT), who outlined a number of market segments tipped for development.
She said: “We would like to focus more and more on Millennials and Gen Z – the younger visitors – because we’re very well positioned with the generation from age 40-plus, but I think there’s a lot to do in terms of working together with travel agents to develop awareness and interest among Millennials and Gen Z.”
Music events and sports have been shown to be significant ‘pull’ factors for younger generations, she added.
While skiing remains a major strength, there has been an uptick in interest in summer-season trips to the mountains, with cycling holidays growing in popularity too.
Potential has also been identified in golf-based trips following Rome’s hosting of the Ryder Cup last year.
“There was an enormous amount of UK and Irish visitors who came to see the competition,” said Rossi, adding: “We think that’s a niche that can grow a lot, so we’re promoting golf in Italy.”
The country has also been boosted by improvements in air connectivity across various locations, she said, meaning agents have more opportunities to sell destinations including Sicily, Salerno and Puglia.
Returning visitors to Rome are likely to be impressed by the expansion of the hotel offering, according to Rossi, as additional high-end accommodation has opened since the pandemic.
For next year as a whole, the outlook is described as “very positive” and attention is also being directed towards 2026 when Italy will host the Winter Olympics.
Underlining the importance of agents, Rossi said Italy has “always focused on the trade a lot”.
“Italy is so varied and has such an extensive number of opportunities, which a machine would find hard to sell,” she said, adding: “The value can only be expressed by people – people know people.”
Picture: Maria Elena Rossi