Bleisure in Liguria

Liguria is the ideal destination for international bleisure tourism: perfect to host congresses and prestigious events in its facilities. It offers professionals wishing to extend their stay breathtaking natural and marine panoramas, such as those in Cinque Terre.

You can experience glamorous moments in Portofino or visit regal cities such as Genoa, with its Palazzi dei Rolli, a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Discover ancient medieval villages in the hinterland or seaside towns such as Alassio and Sanremo, with their splendid palaces, villas and gardens.

All this, within only a few kilometres.

The events and congresses sector has become more important than the entire tourism sector, with constant growth in the years 2014 to 2019. As of 2021, a study on the Local Meeting industry by the University of Genoa, found a new growth trend in this sector, after the unforeseeable cancellation of all events due to Covid. This is a significant figure, as business tourism represents an important seasonal adjustment factor.

The 2022/2023 period was seen as a restart for the entire sector, which will benefit from strong promotional and marketing efforts on both the domestic and foreign markets and to capitalize on the wave of recovery by keeping the Region at the centre of attention in major promotional events.

Liguria is an ideal location for association congresses, corporate conventions, meetings and incentive events, thanks to its accommodation facilities and services available in historic residences, conference hotels, trade shows venues and convention centres.

The region’s narrow and long territorial conformation where distances are easily covered in a few hours, allows the ability to combine business travel with the 'leisure' discovery of the territory in a highly sustainable approach and transversal experiences, ranging from the mountains to the sea, from villages to cities rich in history.

More than 800 natural itineraries in the hinterland and in national and regional parks. More than 350 kilometres of coastline, both sandy and rocky, enjoyable all year round; villages and towns with a glorious past and where traditions live on in the present, all enriched by the excellence of craftsmanship, food and wine.

For several years now, in cooperation with the Meet in Liguria consortium, Agenzia InLiguria has been carrying out promotional and marketing efforts on both the national and foreign markets. The Consortium brings together 173 conference facilities which include one centre for up to 1,500 people, 16 centres accomodating 300 to 600 people, 77 centres equipped to host 100 to 300 participants and 86 centres for up to 100 participants.

The primary objective of the project is to be involved in the most important promotional events in the MICE sector, integrating the presence of Meet Liguria with the Agenzia, in the aim of promoting the Region on several levels.

Each trade fair and workshop is therefore accompanied by appropriate communication measures, in particular through an adequate web presence, but also by means of printed or digital media for the dissemination of MICE events.

1. In Genoa, the Porto Antico by architect Renzo Piano is a must see. Cafés, restaurants and the Aquarium are often used for side events at conferences. The Magazzini del Cotone are one of Italy's most famous conference centres, accommodating up to 1,500 people. Via Garibaldi with the Palazzi dei Rolli, UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of Paganini's violins is kept in Palazzo Tursi, seat of the Geona’s City Hall.
2. Portofino, a fishing village famous for its small square and bay, with colourful houses dominated by Castello Brown. Prestigious villas, luxury hotels and glamorous shopping make Portofino the ideal destination for the international jet set.
3. The Cinque Terre, villages suspended between sea and land: Monterosso, Manarola, Corniglia, Riomaggiore and Vernazza, to which Portovenere is associated due to proximity and conformation. A UNESCO-listed corner of Liguria stretching through a national park and a protected marine area, amid ancient sanctuaries and prized vineyards.
4. Alassio, with its palaces and gardens, is known as the 'city of lovers' thanks to the wall signed by the likes of Fred Bongusto, Anita Ekberg and Woody Allen. Marvellous Palazzo Scofferi, with its precious crucifix attributed to Giambologna, Palazzo Ferrero De Gubernatis and Palazzo Bonfante, with its elegant iron gate.
5. Sanremo, capital of music, full of glamorous places, flowers and villas: Villa Nobel, residence of the Swedish scientist, and Villa Ormond, with its lush park. Do not miss the Ponente Ligure cycle path with 24 km of breathtaking scenery on the old railway track, it is the longest in Europe.

1. Liguria has a natural vocation to host conferences and congresses; most of them concentrated in Genoa, which has hosted more than 3,500 events, 510,000 participants and 230,000 overnight stays.
2. From Castello Brown, with its breathtaking view of Portofino, destination of the 1960s 'dolce vita', to the elegant Art Nouveau hotels in the Italian Riviera; from the Italian-style gardens of Villa Marigola to the exclusive resorts surrounded by golf courses, from the Palace seat of the Doges of the Republic to the 16th-century frescoed Palace of Prince Andrea Doria, plenty of Ligurian locations literally take you 'inside beauty and history'.
3. These are not anonymous conference centres, but rather locations set in unique contexts. You will be spoilt for choice.

Destination website:

1. lamialiguria.it
2. meetinliguria.com
3. visitgenoa.it

Agenzia InLiguria

1. lamialiguria.it/agenzia-in-liguria