Italy as an educational destination for young Kazakhs
Italy is once again one of the most popular destinations in Europe: this is what emerges from the 21st edition of KITF, the International Tourism and Travel Exhibition taking place at the Atakent business cooperation centre in Almaty until 21 April. KITF is the largest professional tourism platform in central Asia, and the leading tourist industry event in Kazakhstan. It has obtained the quality mark of UFI (the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry), attesting to the compliance of the stands with international B2B standards. With the launch of direct flights between Milan and Almaty, run by Italian Neos airline, Italy is becoming an important market for Kazakhstan, where there is growing interest in the broad, varied Italian tourism offer. ENIT – the Italian National Tourist Board will be present at the fair, with a stand of approx. 55 square metres located in Pavilion 10. The Marche Region will be involved in the fair, together with four Italian tourism companies, including Fly2Europe, NiKi Tour & Wedding Dmc, Tezoro Srl, and Neos airline.
ENIT data and a survey carried out by the Kazakhstan Tourism Association among outbound travel agents and tour operators show that the demand for outbound travel has risen by over 60% compared to previous years, due to the art and culture, excellent food, fashion and Italian lifestyle. Italy is also a destination for young people, with parents believing that a trip to the bel paese is important for their children’s artistic education, offering the opportunity to admire fine architecture and beautiful landscapes. Italians are believed to have a similar temperament, and Italian style and hospitality are seen as particularly appealing: less sophisticated than in France or Switzerland, yet not as laidback as the rest of southern Europe.
Although disposable income for travel has fallen, outbound travel demand is rising, and overall, the world of tourism is positive about the prospects for 2023. Milan and Rome are the main points of entry into Italy, and this determines the choice of destinations for tours in Italy. Regular flights between Milan and Almaty have been running since June 2022, and in March 2022, the Italian embassy in Kazakhstan restarted issuing tourist visas.
Especially popular are 10-day tours that combine shopping with a thermal spa experience. Shopping, especially in top designer brand outlet stores, is a must for any trip to Italy, and this is a product that has no competition. Kazakhs do not generally see Italy as a seaside destination, and is viewed as a product for high-end tourists, who visit Sardinia or resorts elsewhere, while the Amalfi Coast is a renowned honeymoon destination. Specialised food and wine holidays are very much a niche product for Kazakhstan, although Italian cuisine, wine and restaurants are one of Italy’s main features. Tuscany, Florence and Bologna are perceived as high-end destinations.
“By taking part in the 21st edition of KITF, ENIT is working for the future, directing its activities towards the promotion of the Italy brand and strengthening the country’s position.
It is important to educate the travel sector on products and destinations as well as on the major attractions, by implementing online training courses with motivation schemes that offer higher scores for knowledge demonstrated and bookings made, and to stimulate contacts between the interested parties in Italy and the tourist sector in Kazakhstan, with dedicated workshops for tour operators and individual encounters scheduled, as well as presentations on the destination for both tour operators and travel agents in Almaty and Astana, promoting Italian lifestyle and the diversity of travel products and also creating points of contact with social media”, said ENIT CEO Ivana Jelinic.
Francesca Cicatelli
ENIT Press Office
Phone: (+39) 392.9225216
e-mail: francesca.cicatelli@enit.it