23 international travel advisors joined an Italiabsolutely fam trip to Messina and Reggio Calabria.
Meetings, networking and local experiences
ItaliAbsolutely brought 20 international Italy travel specialist buyers to Messina and Reggio Calabria on a fam trip, organized by Travel Open Day, on the occasion of the Meet Tourism Messina programme of meetings and networking. The business sessions were followed by visits to the main attractions in the two southern Italian cities, and local experiences including a swordfishing boat excursion, a visit to the famous Riace bronze statues and wine and food tastings.
The occasion was “Meet Tourism towards the Mediterranean”
The 6-day fam trip kicked off at the Palazzo della Cultura in Messina with the plenary opening of “Meet Tourism towards the Mediterranean,” the city’s first experiential meeting which was attended by the mayor of Messina Federico Basile, the councilor for tourism Enzo Caruso, the councilor for productive activities Massimo Finocchiaro and the president of the Strait Port Authority, Mario Paolo Mega. The event continued with B2B sessions that brought together local inbound operators and the 20 international buyers from Slovenia, Poland, Portuga, Lithuania, Spain, Romania, Russia, Hungary, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Brazil, and the United States.
“Messina’s cuisine is the best in Italy”
The participants spent a morning on a “felucca” fishing boat to see firsthand the local swordfishing traditions and also visited the Ganzirri Lakes and the Fort Cavalli belvedere as well as visiting the Messina Brewery. For many of the buyers it was the first time in the south of Italy but Romanian journalist Dana Enache of “Viva!” magazine said it was her fifth time in Sicily. “But it’s my first time to Messina. It’s a wonderful city and much more relaxed than Italy’s big cities.” Svetlana Trushnikova of Palomino Tour Travel said people often tell her there is not much to see in Messina, but that she found it full of interest. “Being able to use the airports of Reggio Calabria and Catania is an absolutely exploitable convenience, and for me Messina’s cuisine is the best in Italy.”
Reggio Calabria also hosted the buyers
In Reggio Calabria, just across the Strait of Messina on mainland Italy, the participants visited the Museum of Reggio Calabria to admire the famous Riace bronze statues and spent two days discovering the city’s attractions as well as towns like Gerace, Bova and Scylla which is one of the area’s most popular coastal resort towns. The final day in Reggio Calabria was dedicated to business with a round table to present the companies attending followed by B2B appointments between local DMCs, DMOs, suppliers and the buyers. 
Calabria is a region for all seasons
Be our guest to our Fam Trips!“We had a very positive reaction from the buyers, - said Reggio Calabria’s mayor Giuseppe Falcomatà. – Our region has experiential potential. At certain times of year you can ski on the Aspromonte in the morning, have a swim on the Costa Viola in the afternoon, visit the Riace bronzes in the evening and end the day with an ice cream on the sea promenades of Catona or Pellaro. Reggio is delightful, engaging, and captivating."
