Risposte Turismo and ENIT join forces to promote shopping tourism in Italy
PRESS RELEASE
RISPOSTE TURISMO AND ENIT JOIN FORCES TO PROMOTE SHOPPING TOURISM IN ITALY
A PARTNERSHIP HAS BEEN SIGNED FOR THE NEXT THREE EDITIONS OF SHOPPING TOURISM - IL FORUM ITALIANO: THE LAST DATE FOR 2023 IS SET FOR FRIDAY 15 DECEMBER, IN ROME
ITALY IS INCREASINGLY MAKING A NAME FOR ITSELF AS AN INTERNATIONAL SHOPPING TOURISM DESTINATION, WITH A RECORD-BREAKING 2.1 MILLION TOURISTS HAVING CHOSEN ITALY FOR A SHOPPING HOLIDAY THIS YEAR
FROM THE NEW EDITION OF THE SHOPPING TOURISM ITALIAN MONITOR: ACCORDING TO US TOURISTS, ITALY IS THE TOP SHOPPING DESTINATION IN EUROPE, AHEAD OF FRANCE AND THE UK
DANIELA SANTANCHÈ - MINISTER OF TOURISM: “TOURISM-RELATED SHOPPING IS A HIGHLY STRATEGIC ELEMENT FOR THE NATIONAL ECONOMY”
Supporting the phenomenon of shopping tourism in Italy, emphasising the important role it can play in the development of the territories concerned and continuing to offer operators in the worlds of tourism and retail an opportunity to meet, study and debate about a growing phenomenon with a particularly high potential for our country.
These are the main objectives of the three-year partnership signed between Risposte Turismo - a research and consulting company serving the tourism macro-industry - and ENIT - the National Tourism Agency.
In detail, the collaboration includes support from the public body for the next three editions of Shopping Tourism - il forum italiano the reference event on shopping tourism in Italy launched by Risposte Turismo in 2016 and scheduled this year for Friday 15 December in Rome at the national headquarters of Confcommercio.
“In a global tourism context where new areas and new proposals are constantly being sought to attract visitors, shopping is confirmed not only as one of the most popular activities to do during a holiday, but also as a factor that influences their choice of destinations,” said Francesco Di Cesare, president of Risposte Turismo. “So now more than ever is the right time to focus on this phenomenon in order to boost the appeal of the territories and the service systems offered to tourists,” Di Cesare continued. “Certainly the latter will have to prove their professionalism and show they are in step with the needs of the shopping tourist, which are much more demanding and sophisticated than they used to be, in terms of multiple places to shop, internal mobility, entertainment, economic advantages. Italy registers a good number of arrivals from tourists motivated by the desire to shop, but considering the country’s complex productive and commercial fabric, it can certainly aspire to achieve more important goals,” Di Cesare concluded.
“Tourism-related shopping is a highly strategic element for the national economy; in fact, I would even go as far as to say that shopping is part of the baggage of the tourist. He or she returns home laden with typical products, from the excellences of Italian food and wine to local handicrafts, and the many other exquisite Made in Italy products, which abound in our country,” said Daniela Santanchè, Minister of Tourism. This is why,” Ms. Santanchè continued, “in the budget manoeuvre, we have lowered the Tax-free Shopping threshold. This will help to generate positive impacts on the tourism industry, thus also adding to the appeal of Italy, as President Meloni mentioned in her speech at the recent International Tourism Forum held in Baveno.”
“The expansion of shopping-related tourism is a strategic key to Italy's economic development,” says Ivana Jelinic, President and CEO of ENIT. “Introducing policies that facilitate access to international shopping circuits,” Jelinic continues, “as well as improving the infrastructure to facilitate travel and collaborating with global brands can increase the appeal of territories. The implementation of targeted marketing programmes, tax incentives and partnerships with industry players are crucial to stimulate the flow of shopping-related tourism and to also ensure a positive impact on the local contexts. In addition, the introduction of the Tax-Free Shopping service promotes a further increase in incoming flows from all those countries that invest in the purchase of Made in Italy products.”
In 2023, 2.3 million tourists chose Italy for a shopping holiday
According to early news regarding the latest edition of Risposte Turismo's Shopping Tourism Italian Monitor, which will be presented in its entirety at the 2024 edition of the forum, the number of tourists who chose Italy this year for a shopping holiday rose to 2.1 million (+7% on 2019).
The value is the result of projections and estimates made by Risposte Turismo and obtained by applying different percentage coefficients to the total arrivals in Italian destinations according to their type. The new estimate is based on a series of indicators and sources plus the results of ad hoc surveys conducted by Risposte Turismo during the various editions of the Shopping Tourism Italian Monitor.
If we consider all tourists who, while not having shopping as their sole or main motivation for travelling, devote time and money to this activity during their holiday, the tourism and shopping combination involves considerably more travellers.
Italy, the top European shopping tourism destination for US tourists
Continuing the analysis in detail, according to Risposte Turismo's research site, Italy is the leading European shopping destination for US tourists, the leading source of tourists in Italy in 2023, ahead of France and the UK.
As for the profile of the US shopping tourist, they are predominantly young (aged between 18 and 29), although the largest number of US tourists interested in a shopping holiday falls into the 45-60 age group.
Regarding the propensity to buy, when travelling for shopping, US tourists spend more than they do the rest of the year and report the tax-free service as the second most influential factor in their choice of travel destination after sales, discounts and promotions.
Looking at individual cities, Milan, Rome and Naples are the top three Italian destinations for shopping tourism cited by the survey sample.
The 2023 edition of Shopping Tourism - il forum italiano
Shopping Tourism - il forum italiano, now in its sixth edition, will develop into a morning of discussion and analysis on the developments, dynamics and prospects of a phenomenon that mixes tourism, trade and services, bringing important economic spin-offs to the territories thanks to the expenditure of the visitors who choose our country for their shopping holidays.
As always, the programme of Shopping Tourism - il forum italiano is varied with one round table that will examine the dynamics of shopping tourism in the historic centres of many Italian municipalities and a second one that will focus on shopping tourists with high spending power. The latter form a niche, which contributes significantly to the economic impact of the holiday destination visited, since, in addition to the purchases made, it activates a range of high-end services (such as private transport, guides and personal shoppers, targeted consultancy). In the course of the morning, space will also be given to other events that will touch on various topics, including potential demand markets, Made in Italy and unconventional shopping venues.
At the event, Francesco Di Cesare will present some of the results of the constant research and monitoring of the sector conducted by Risposte Turismo, which has been presenting up-to-date information, the results of ad hoc surveys and both Italian and foreign case studies since 2016.
Previous editions of the forum
After the success of the previous editions held in Venice, Rome, Florence, Milan and, in the 2022 itinerant format, Venice, Ancona and Bologna, which saw a total of over 800 participating operators and 150 speakers, Shopping Tourism - il forum italiano continues its journey with new contents and moments of discussion.
Those interested in taking part should register at risposteturismo.it, subject to availability.
Global Blue and Mastercard are Main Sponsors of the 2023 edition of Shopping Tourism - il forum italiano. The event on 15 December will be held in cooperation with Sistema Confcommercio.
Info and insights are available on the event website and on the official Twitter and LinkedIn pages
Official hashtag: #ShoppingTourismForum
Francesca Cicatelli
ENIT Press Office
Phone: +39 06 4971 480