Italy's leading international trade show for the Ho.Re.Ca. sector opened today with 636 exhibitors, surpassing the pre-Covid edition, an influx of visitors exceeding expectations and buyer delegations from Europe, Central and South America.
Riva del Garda (TN), 6 February 2023 – The 47th edition of Hospitality - Il Salone dell'Accoglienza, the most comprehensive international trade show in Italy for the Ho.Re.Ca. sector, was opened today in Riva del Garda, and will run at the Expo Centre until 9 February.
With high attendance already on the first day, Hospitality confirms its role as the leading trade show in the Ho.Re.Ca. sector with a comprehensive offer embracing all segments of the industry.
Roberto Pellegrini, Chairman of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi, emphasised how this year, Hospitality had renewed its commitment to sector operators. He commented: “We are proud to open this event, with record numbers, which far exceed those pre-Covid. Today we are opening an international show, thanks to the recognition we gained last May and which we will renew for next year. A recognition that represents a guarantee of quality and reliability and that has allowed us to give even greater impetus to incoming activities, increasing the presence of foreign buyers from more countries. We have also placed a greater focus on the hospitality operators of the future, establishing partnerships with hotel schools and having 11 technology start-ups in attendance”.
With nine exhibition halls covering 40,000 sqm of exhibition space, the event this year hosts 636 exhibitors – 40% of which are new companies – and over 100 events featuring 150 speakers as well as training and experiential initiatives. It is an opportunity for operators in the hospitality and catering industry to find innovative solutions and tools to grow their business and remain competitive on the market.
"We have entered into some important agreements that make the show an international point of reference for the sector," added Giovanna Voltolini, Exhibition Manager for Hospitality. “An important new development this year is the partnership signed with Feria de Valladolid in mixology and the intense scouting activity to enhance incoming flows of foreign buyers, with delegations from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Mediterranean basin, as well as selected professional operators from Central and South America. The construction of this global network mirrors the work completed at national level to further develop the market segments with the highest growth. Here, I would mention the partnerships with FAITA - FederCamping, Village For All, respectively in the outdoor market and accessible hospitality, and with other important entities such as Slow Food, the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo and Banca del Vino".
Hospitality 2023 was officially inaugurated with the opening talk “The new era of hospitality”, moderated by television presenter Tessa Gelisio, with direct testimonies from representatives of sector associations and the hospitality industry that focused on the challenges facing operators. In an era that interprets hospitality as a holistic experience, with a conception of spaces extended to ergonomics and accessibility, we must think of inclusive products and solutions that strive for new paradigms of quality outdoor holidays.
“In Italy, accessible tourism represents a market of 127 million people with various types of needs, most of whom do not travel alone. These are tourists who on average plan holidays of more than ten days, with a preference for low season periods and an average spending capacity of EUR 120 per day plus accommodation”, said Roberto Vitali, CEO di Village for all – V4A. “Accessibility, however, is a broad concept, not only and necessarily limited to the common understanding of motor impairment”.
Inclusivity is one of the main characteristics of outdoor tourism, as pointed out by Alberto Granzotto, President of FAITA-FederCamping: “Outdoor hospitality is enjoying a very positive period. In 2022, Lake Garda recorded 10 million stays, mainly international visitors from Germany and Holland. Italy still represents a small percentage, but this is growing thanks to operators' greater ability to communicate their offer and to a better quality of services”.
Marco Gilardi, Operations Director Italy and USA of NH Hotel Group confirmed the new trends in hospitality also hold sway in accommodation facilities located in cities, which are making up for the lack of natural environments by creating new open-air spaces, such as terraces or gardens, and offering their guests outdoor experiences.
“The role of a trade fair like Hospitality, in this context, is to tap into global trends to support operators in doing business”, explained Alessandra Albarelli, General Manager of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi. “The all-round focus on people's well-being, sustainability and respect for the environment are all phenomena that have implications for the tourism and hospitality industry. We select products and services to showcase during the event to help hospitality and catering operators diversify their offerings and compete”.
Flexible, sustainable and safe: thanks to its intrinsic characteristics, the open-air sector has been able to conquer and win Italians’ trust in recent years. This is also thanks to its ability to evolve, and pick up on the needs and demands of new targets.
“Undoubtedly the pandemic moved people closer to a more conscious and proximity-based concept of tourism, but the segment has also been able to evolve, offering quality services and all manner of comforts," commented Carlo Berizzi, Professor of Architectural and Urban Composition at the University of Pavia. “This is why, for the past five years, the AUDe laboratory at the University of Pavia has been conducting a series of research projects to improve maxi-caravans to support the development of the outdoor holiday sector".
The opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony was also attended by Silvia Betta, Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Riva del Garda, and Roberto Failoni, Councillor for Crafts, Commerce, Promotion, Sport and Tourism of the Autonomous Province of Trento.
Once again this year, professionals will be able to organise their visit to the show using the Hospitality Digital Space app, a virtual platform for managing meetings, networking, viewing the product and exhibitor catalogue and consulting the complete events schedule.
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