The BMT—Borsa Mediteranea del Turismo fair is being held in Naples from March 14 to 16. The unique feature of this year's edition of the fair is Croatia's status as the country partner for the fair, for the first time in the history of holding this most important international business event in the south of Italy. With this, Croatian regions, destinations, and tourist products will have exceptional promotional visibility and separation from other countries represented in Naples.
"Italians traditionally like to travel to Croatia during the summer months and more and more outside the peak season. This was significantly contributed to by our country's entry into Schengen, which made us even more accessible, easier to access, and more attractive for shorter and more frequent weekend trips to all our European neighbours, including the Italians. This year, we expect the continuation of positive trends with special emphasis on the periods before and after the season and on further sustainable growth and development of Croatian tourism. The segments above represent what we emphasize during our fair performances and promotional activities aimed at the Italian market, from which more and more younger guests come to us. Also, a new trend is being noticed on the Italian market, which is the increased demand for first-minute offers", said Kristjan Staničić, director of HTZ, adding that Volotea is introducing three new lines this year, from Bari to Dubrovnik and Split and from Naples to Split.
The Croatian tourism delegation led by Director Staničić, State Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Sports Josip Pavić, and Director of the CNTB representative office in Italy Viviana Vukelić, were present at the fair. During the first day of the fair, they met with representatives of the Association of Italian Tour Operators (ASTOI), SNAV, the ferry operator that represents the only Italian partner that offers ferry lines to Croatia, the Association of Italian Travel Agencies (FIAVET) and representatives of MSC Crociere, the leading company for cruises in Europe and the third largest in the world. Croatia, namely Rijeka, Zadar, Split, and Dubrovnik, are part of their numerous itineraries in the Mediterranean. Jasen Mesić, the ambassador of the Republic of Croatia in Italy, also attended the event.
"We held a significant meeting with representatives of Croatia at an important place such as the business fair in Naples. Italians value Croatia very much as a tourist destination; many of our clients are looking for trips to your country, so on this occasion, we discussed how to realize that potential best. This particularly applies to the segment of organized programs, i.e., to trips that are realized through tour operators, and I am sure that today's agreement on the further development of cooperation with Croatia will lead to even better results", said Pier Ezhaya, president of the Association of Italian Tour Operators (ASTOI).
The fair in Naples gathers more than 400 exhibitors and 140 buyers, 6,000 accredited travel agencies, and 220 accredited journalists. Numerous business meetings exchange information about current tourism trends and expectations for 2024.
"I am thrilled that this year Croatia is the country partner in Naples at the BMT fair, the most important business fair traditionally held before Easter when the market competition in the Mediterranean begins to heat up. We presented our tourist offer, news from the sector, and transport and air connections between Croatia and Italy; we met with numerous partners but also announced upcoming promotional activities in the south of Italy, such as a business workshop for tourist entities that we are organizing in Rome on April 18," says Viviana Vukelic, director of the CNTB representative office in Italy, adding that most market studies predict further growth in tourist traffic this year.
In addition to the Croatian National Tourist Board as the leading exhibitor, 14 co-exhibitors also presented their offer at the Croatian stand, including the tourist boards of the counties of Split-Dalmatia, Dubrovnik-Neretva, Zadar, Šibenik-Knin and Kvarner, the cities of Zagreb, Dubrovnik, and Rab, and the municipality of Lopar. Other Croatian tourism entities included: transport companies, hoteliers, and agencies. Also, in cooperation with the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, a presentation and tasting of top Croatian wines was provided as part of the Croatian stand.
The importance of the appearance at the fair in Naples is additionally confirmed by the results our country achieves on the Italian market, from which over 981 thousand arrivals and 4.2 million overnight stays were achieved last year, which compared to 2022 represents a growth of +5 percent in arrivals and +1 percent in overnight stays. At the same time, Italian guests spent the most overnight stays in Istria (over 1.7 million overnight stays) and in Kvarner (1 million overnight stays), and terms of destinations, Rovinj, Medulin, Poreč, Novalja, Umag, and Mali Lošinj.
