Roots-IN 2025: Matera as Heritage Tourism Capital
There are events that are not just trade fairs, but become laboratories of the future. Among these is Roots-IN, the Heritage Tourism Exchange that will return to Matera for its fourth edition from 18 to 19 November 2025. For two days the city of the Sassi will be transformed into an international marketplace of relationships, opportunities and stories, with buyers from five continents and Italian sellers ready to present the best travel experiences linked to identity and origins.
A marketplace that generates opportunities
Roots-IN is not a fair like any other. It is a specialized marketplace, created to connect supply and demand in a rapidly expanding segment: heritage tourism. A sector that looks to Italian-descendants around the world - millions of people who cultivate deep ties with Italy - and that represents an extraordinary opportunity for growth for tourism.The heart of the event is the B2B workshop, with an agenda of targeted meetings for Italian sellers and exhibitors: 14 appointments in two days, five of which directly chosen by the operators with the most interesting buyers. Short, intense appointments that focus on being concrete.
Buyers from five continents
The strength of Roots-IN lies in its international dimension. More than 70 buyers will arrive in Matera from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States: key intercontinental markets for heritage tourism, with Italian communities and family stories that cross oceans with a shared desire to rediscover one's origins on an authentic journey. For Italian sellers - tour operators, DMCs, hospitality facilities, organizations and associations - it will be an opportunity to present tailor-made packages and experiences, built around traditions, landscapes and memories that speak directly to the hearts of Italian descendants.
The strength of the institutional network
Roots-IN is promoted by APT Basilicata, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Tourism, the Basilicata Region, and the Municipality of Matera. A network that testifies to the strategic value of the project, which is part of the “2025 Year of Italian Heritage”, the national programme that aims to transform the link with Italian communities around the world into a lever of cultural and economic development. "With Roots-IN,- underlines the director general of APT Basilicata - we give voice to a form of tourism that starts from people and their stories. Basilicata thus becomes a national laboratory, capable of welcoming and enhancing the need for identity and belonging of the new generations of Italian descendants.”
A digital platform for perfect matching
Roots-IN is not only physical, but also digital. From the end of September participants will have a networking platform at their disposal to create their profile, view buyer and seller profiles, initiate chats, and download the appointment agenda and entry badge, preparing the Matera meetings in the best possible way and guaranteeimg accurate business matching.
Matera, an ideal setting
It could only be Matera to host the Exchange. The city of the Sassi, UNESCO World Heritage Site and European Capital of Culture 2019, is today a symbol of resilience and tourism innovation. Walking around the city during Roots-IN means immersing oneself in a place that tells of the strength of its roots, its ability to reinvent itself and the pride of a community projected towards the future.
Registration open until 30 September
Participation in the Exchange is open to qualified sellers - tour operators, incoming agencies, DMCs, consortia, hospitality facilities, cultural associations - who wish to promote products and services linked to heritage tourism. The registration fee is €300 (VAT not applicable), to be paid by bank transfer to APT Basilicata. Registration will close on 30 September 2025, with registration exclusively online on the official website: www.roots-in.com/registrazione-seller-2025.
A growing community
Since 2021 Roots-IN has facilitated hundreds of meetings, contributing to the creation of innovative tourist packages and strengthening the dialogue between Italy and Italian communities around the world. The 4th edition aims at consolidating these results and expanding the community of heritage tourism, a sector that interweaves culture, economy and human relations. Roots-IN is not just an Exchange. It is a collective journey that starts from personal stories and becomes a development project for entire territories. Matera, once again, will be its beating heart.
