The Meet Tourism event held last month in Messina in Sicily, and organized by the city’s municipal administration in collaboration with ItaliAbsolutely, brought together a group of international buyers. They spent three days discovering the cultural and traditional attractions of the Strait city. and also met with local industry players during one-to-one B2B sessions.
“I really liked Messina, it is packed with history”
Veronica Scalia of Naxos Travel, who organizes travel for cruise groups in Sicily, says that clients often say they would appreciate more professionalism from local guides and that “visitors should take Sicily into consideration from April to October.”
Larysa Bunachkovska of Edelweiss Tour, Kiev said that last year they added the Eolian Islands, Taormina by boat and Palermo to their programmes and that she is considering adding Messina. “I really liked Messina, it is packed with history. The cathedral is very beautiful and so is the museum with the Caravaggio and Antonella da Messina works. And I really enjoyed the e-bike experience.”
Visitors are requesting multimedia guides
Dora Krkvaric of Kreator Pitovaja, Croatia offers week-long tours of Sicily and food experiences. “Nowadays everyone wants to do something exclusive and different, such as a tour in a felucca.” She added that many clients would appreciate multimedia guides. 
Mihal Hitka of Hitka Tour Operator, Bratislava said he was pleasantly surprised by Messina.
“The history and the food are very good and the felucca tour on the lake was very interesting, I’d like to do it on the sea. We did see some good B&Bs, but I did feel there are not enough hotels.”
“Messina is a destination that can be sold in all seasons”
Celia Martinez Morales of Norwegian Cruise Line Miami says their best-sellers are Rome and Florence. “It was interesting that just about everything we ate in Messina was grown in the area and was a local specialty. What our clients want is to relax on a beach or in the mountains, eat well and take photos to show family and friends back home.”
Pietrangelo Petanò of Medford Marcopolo Projet commented that Messina is a destination that can be sold in all seasons but “it is a problem that there are no hotels for groups in the centre.
This first edition of Meet Tourism focused on culture and traditions, and there really is a lot to see. For the next edition I would suggest concentrating on niche products.”
