ENIT at the ABTOI Summit 2026: 40 British tour operators discover Italian excellence on Lake Garda

From 18 to 20 October, Desenzano del Garda hosted the annual meeting of the Association of British Travel Organisers to Italy. ENIT played a key role in strengthening relations with the UK market and promoting Lombardy’s tourism offering.

Desenzano del Garda provided the setting for the ABTOI Annual Summit 2026, the annual event organised by the Association of British Travel Organisers to Italy, which from 18 to 20 October brought together 40 British tour operators specialising in the promotion and sale of Italy as a destination.

The three-day programme focused on discussion, knowledge sharing and the development of new opportunities for collaboration through presentations, seminars, round tables and networking sessions, with the aim of strengthening relations between the Italian tourism industry and one of its key international markets.

ENIT, through its London office, contributed to the organisation of the initiative, taking part in the opening panel as a member of the association and helping to involve Regione Lombardia and Visit Brescia, with a view to promoting the destination in an integrated way and strengthening synergies between institutions and tourism industry operators.

Particular attention was devoted to opportunities for bringing tourism supply and demand together, with a dedicated B2B networking session designed to foster dialogue between British operators and local stakeholders, encouraging new business contacts and potential future partnerships.

The evening was attended by Graziano Pennacchio, CEO of Visit Brescia; Alex Franzoni, Mayor of Pozzolengo; and Nadia Giacomelli of the Consorzio Lago di Garda Lombardia, highlighting the importance of collaboration between institutions, local organisations and tourism industry operators.

The initiative confirms ENIT’s commitment to strengthening Italy’s positioning in the UK market through targeted promotional activities, networking opportunities and the enhancement of local identities.