Investment Opportunities in Italy's Conference Tourism sector

Transcription

1 Inter-regional project Promoting the Italian Conference System Updates on the Italian Conference Tourism offering Barcelona EIBTM 29 th November/1 st December 25

2 FOREWORD The Italian conference tourism sector has recently benefited from a veritable boom in investments. A new type of product offering is emerging on the international market. Alongside the growing number of conference venues, hotels and supplementary services, the offering is becoming increasingly diversified (according to both the number of attendees and the event locations (consider stately homes, for instance) which are now expected to satisfy the demands of today s more progressive conference-goers. Examples are the enormous investments made by major conference players in cities such as Milan, Rome and Rimini, as well as in Tuscany. The already vast number of venues suitable for hosting a wide variety of conferences (and events) has grown considerably (and is likely to continue doing so in the foreseeable future, given the overall scale of the investments). Most of Italy s conference venues and related hospitality facilities, can cater for events involving a considerable though not huge influx of visitors. Hovever, there is no lack of adequate convention centres for really large-scale international gatherings. Moreover, different regions, have already prepared investment plans that will soon enable them to offer top class venues and hotels on both a national and an international scale. In addition, many of Italy s smaller historic towns and villages, whose facilities are too small to be classified as conference venues, have turned the concept of satellite conference venues into their distinctive hallmark. Their aim is to exploit their own particular identity as small friendly contexts with strong cultural appeal and with a local community happy to welcome conference tourists into their midst. They can offer an endless number of small hotels and equally small conference venues, located within a well-defined area, such as the historic centre of town, thus constituting a network that can effectively cope with large numbers. Lastly, as proof of the efforts made, almost all these regions of Italy are setting up their own Convention Bureaux or Product Clubs specifically to promote their individual areas, within the overall framework of a plan to re-launch quality Italian conference tourism. UPDATES ON THE ITALIAN CONFERENCE OFFERING By 27, Arezzo s conference and exhibition facilities (Centro Affari Arezzo), will have completed a 24m euro investment programme scheduled to bring available exhibition space up from 14, to 24, sq m and to include a new modular conference centre with seating capacity for between 3 and 1 people; Two new partners have recently joined the Sardegna Convention Bureau: Consorzio Camù of Cagliari, whose members own important conference facilities in historical contexts and the Tanka Village Resort of Villasimius (CA) which by May 26 will also feature a 1,4-seat auditorium. In addition, October 25 saw the inauguration of the Hi-Tech Hotel, a benchmark venue right in the centre of Cagliari; in April 26 the CarraraFiere conference and expo centre will be opening new conference space, dividable into two modular air-conditioned rooms, with separate entrances, fully equipped with stateof-the-art technology, plus Wi-Fi coverage; On 11 November 25 the executive committee of Firenze Fiera gave the go-ahead for re-styling existing facilities within Palazzo degli Affari, located in the centre of the city. It is part of a 9m euro investment programme due for completion by the end of 28; Convention Bureau della Riviera di Rimini has two important news items: work has started on Rimini s new PalaCongressi conference centre and PalaRiccione has been launched and will be inaugurated at the beginning of 27; 26 will see the inauguration of the new Fiera di Roma complex (covering approximately 92 hectares). Features include a 4,-seat conference centre; 25 has seen the completion of a modernization scheme involving the auditorium of the Stazione Marittima conference centre in Trieste managed directly by PromoTrieste Convention Bureau. The auditorium now has a modular design and offers seating capacity for up to 5 people. 2

3 GRAPHS ILLUSTRATING THE ITALIAN CONFERENCE OFFERING Italian conference centres: total distribution per geographical area Alto Adige Campania Emilia Friuli V. G. Lazio Liguria Lombardia Marche Sardegna Sicilia Toscana Trentino Umbria Veneto Conference facilities: conference halls with over seats distributed per region Alto Adige Campania Emilia Friuli V. G. Lazio Liguria Lombardia Marche Sardegna Sicilia Toscana Trentino Umbria Veneto 3

4 Conference facilities:conference halls with 3 - seats distributed per region Alto Adige Campania Emilia Friuli V. G. Lazio Liguria Lombardia Marche Sardegna Sicilia Toscana Trentino Umbria Veneto Conference facilities: conference halls with 1-3 seats distributed per region Alto Adige Campania Emilia Friuli V. G. Lazio Liguria Lombardia Marche Sardegna Sicilia Toscana Trentino Umbria Veneto 4

5 LATEST TRENDS OF CONGRESS TOURISM IN ITALY Today, in terms of turnover, conference tourism accounts for a large slice of the overall Italian tourist industry. In detail, in 24, 26.2 % of the total turnover of the tourist industry was generated by this sector which, with reference to the same period, is worth just over 22bln. This is surprising because, in terms of overnight stays, the share drops to 14.5 %. All this means that conference-goers spend more (approximately double) than leisure tourists. An analysis of the sector s added value (roughly 15bln) shows that 67 % of turnover (15 / 22.5) is turned into GNP, thus making conference tourism the number one generator of new wealth. In addition, this segment provides regular employment (24 figures) for almost 288, people just in firms that supply goods and/or services directly to conference-goers, promoters and event planners. Impressive results have also emerged regarding the indirect fallout that the conference business has on other sectors of the Italian economy (approx billions Euro). It s sufficient to recall that over the last calendar year the vitality of conference tourism has brought considerable benefits (which can be calculated in terms of increased production), first of all to hotels, restaurants and to all the contractors connected with the leisure segment and then to Italian industry and agriculture in general. In fact, a breakdown of the conference turnover per type of service rendered shows how the wide range of economic sectors benefiting from the conference business effectively represents yet another of this sector s virtues. The main beneficiaries of all this wealth are hotels (with 28 % of the entire conference turnover 24 figures) and transport companies (including both carriers and local transport companies; 36%). Restaurants and caterers are also reaping benefits (14% share of overall conference expenditure) as is the leisure sector (retail, newspaper and magazine sales, recreational activities; 8%). This brief summary shows how one of the particular features of conference tourism is its fallout on a wide range of marketable goods and services. This translates, in fact, into close links with a broad spectrum of the economy in the destination areas. After a period of strong, steady growth (1996 2), followed by a period of stagnation (21 23), all the players in the conference tourism sector were counting on recovery in 24; on balance, 24 in fact showed a very positive trend, especially in the first half of the year. In spite of everything, however, although the troubles afflicting the Italian economy at the beginning of 25 did not lead to a crisis in the conference segment, business effectively stabilized at the healthy levels achieved in 24. Bibliography: FEDERCONFERENCEI, 25, L informazione sulle dimensioni economiche del settore congressuale [Information on the economic scale of the conference sector], electronic document. ITALIAN CONFERENCE OBSERVATORY, 25a, Il conto economico del settore congressuale italiano [The economic account of the Italian conference sector] electronic document. 25b, Il sistema congressuale italiano nel primo semestre 25 [The Italian conference system in the first half of 25], electronic document. 5