ItaliAbsolutely’s first fam trip for international buyers and Messina’s first Meet Tourism were held in the Sicilian strait city from 18 to 22 October.
Four days of excursions and B2B meetings
The event highlighted the extraordinary synergy between ItaliAbsolutely, its parent company Travel Open Day, and Messina’s municipal administration. During the four days of Meet Tourism international buyers, journalists and influencers discovered Messina on a series of excursions and then networked with local tour operators at three B2B sessions. 
“We have to make Messina better known”
“Messina has all the credentials to make tour operators and tourists fall in love with it; we just have to be good at making it better known, because you cannot fall in love with something you do not know. Now it’s up to the operators, journalists and travel bloggers to tell the world how beautiful it is. My thanks to ItaliAbsolutely; I am certain that this and future collaborations will yield the hoped-for results,” said culture and tourism councillor Enzo Caruso.
Visits to local sites, and culinary experiences
Participants saw how the feluccas used for swordfish fishing are built and admired the Strait of Messina, where the waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Ionian Sea merge. They visited the Museum of the Cathedral Treasury and the cathedral with its astronomical clock, the largest and most complex in the world, together with that of Prague, and they also visited the Regional Interdisciplinary Museum of Messina to admire works by Antonello da Messina and Caravaggio. Meet Tourism was also an opportunity for them to discover the typical culinary experiences prepared by local chefs who highlighted Messina’s myriad gastronomic flavours and fragrances. 
“I was surprised by this beautiful city”
Among the invited buyers Celia Martinez Morales Miami, destination manager of Norwegian Cruises said, "I was surprised by this beautiful city with its enchanting views, history and culture. Here even the food is culture, much of
what I tasted were local specialties." Dora Krkvaric from Kreator Putovaja in Croatia added, "I was fascinated by the feluccas and the e-bike excursion in the Peloritani mountains, not to mention the museums, the cathedral and the food." 
“Gathering clams in Lake Ganzirri was a fantastic experience”
For Livia Cajova of Elit Travel in Slovaki,a Messina is not a well-known destination. “But I think it is possible to introduce it to our customers even if there are no direct flights. I loved the myths, the history, the feluccas, and gathering clams in Lake Ganzirri was a fantastic experience.” Russlan Alev of Mats Travel Kazakhstan concluded by saying, "It is difficult to describe the emotion of the night organ concert in Messina Cathedral."
For each event we handpick attendees who've shown genuine interest and completed our contact form, soreach out to us today for more details and to stay in the loop about our upcoming events.
