BARI (ITALPRESS) – The 2025 edition of BTM, a national tourism event, held Feb. 26-28 inside Bari’s Fiera del Levante, has concluded. More than 500 exhibitors-including municipalities, trade associations and companies-filled the more than 16,000 square meters of exhibition area, joined by 80 national and international buyers, more than 100 events and 400 speakers who enlivened three intense days of meetings, insights and business opportunities, registering 49,950 admissions, with numbers slightly up from 2024.
“The great participation and high quality of the operators present,” said Gaetano Frulli, president of Nuova Fiera del Levante, stressing the strategic value of this event, “reaffirmed the importance of this event.
The theme of this edition, “The Journey in Travel,” brought to light new perspectives on the very concept of travel and the transformations that are sweeping the industry. Mary Rossi, BTM events manager, emphasized the value of this reflection: “From BTM 2025 we take home many interesting considerations. One of the key aspects we wanted to make is the journey to the chosen destination, because we believe that it is precisely the journey that generates emotions, feelings and thoughts that make us grow. We approached the theme in multiple variations, even pushing the boundaries of Earth with space tourism. BTM was an opportunity for discussion that enriched operators and professionals with new tools to apply in their work.”
The 2025 edition of BTM focused on key topics such as digitization, sustainability, artificial intelligence, experiential tourism, extra-hotel and wedding tourism. Among the most popular moments were panels on smart destinations, big data for tourism, new marketing strategies and the role of storytelling in choosing destinations. “The progress made by BTM over the years,” said Puglia Region Tourism Councillor Gianfranco Lopane, “is there for all to see: it is already one of the most important tourism trade fair events and we hope that this growth will continue in the future for the good of tourism and Puglia.
Numerous institutional and key industry players spoke. Tourism Minister Daniela Santanché opened the event with a streamed speech on national strategies for tourism growth, stressing the importance of innovation and sustainability for the future of the sector. Also speaking at the event were Congressman Gianluca Caramanna, Senator Gianmarco Centinaio, and Federturismo Confindustria President Marina Lalli, as well as Alessandro Callari, regional manager of Booking.com, Antonio Laveneziana, Italy territory manager of Airbnb, Valentina Sumini, space architect, and Roberta Milano, marketing strategist.
“The difference that makes BTM unique is our investment in content,” said Nevio D’Arpa, ceo and founder of BTM. “Here we don’t just showcase products and destinations, we build a quality debate that helps operators understand and anticipate changes in the industry. BTM’s scientific committee has worked very carefully to build a program full of insights and solutions. The numbers see us in slight but steady growth, a sign that the format works and that BTM continues to be a point of reference for tourism in Southern Italy.” “The fruitful synergy among tourism operators realized at BTM, in collaboration with the Buy Puglia Meet & Connect curated by Pugliapromozione,” said Luca Scandale, general manager of Pugliapromozione, “represents a solid basis for the qualitative growth of tourism in Puglia. And for this reason, public-private collaboration remains essential.” (ITALPRESS).
photo source: Fiera del Levante press office
