The year will be characterised by further growth, driven by new forms of tourism within the context of artificial intelligence, ecotourism and emotional travel
The travel industry is on the cusp of a transformative era, driven by a growing desire for authentic, sustainable and emotionally resonant experiences.
At BIT 2025, the international tourism fair recently concluded in Milan last month, the spotlight was on the trends shaping the future of travel, from wellness and hyper-personalisation to the rise of noctotourism (observing the night sky) and the pursuit of longevity. Travel will be even more experiential and thematic, with a greater focus on social sustainability.
Cutting across different travel styles, the trend of hyper-personalisation continues to grow and strengthen: a need increasingly felt by travellers, even when it comes to planning group trips.
The UNWTO, based on IATA data, notes that both the supply and demand for air travel in Europe are higher than in 2019: supply increases by +8% on domestic routes and +3% on international routes, while demand increases by +19% on domestic routes and +1% on foreign routes.
For 2025, a further growth in international tourism of between +3% and +5% compared to 2024 is estimated, which will affect all regions.
"We are noticing a relevant attendance by professional visitors and buyers from the Middle East and the Gulf Countries in this edition. The new location of the show at Rho, with a more compact and linear layout, has been quite appreciated,” Paolo Pizzocaro, Exhibition Director of BIT, tells TTN.
“Europe and Italy remain among the favourite destinations of Middle East travellers. In Italy, particularly Milan, Rome, Venice, Capri and the Amalfi Coast. The trend we notice most among them is the search for accommodations such as larger hotel suites, large apartments, houses, or villas, that address the need for large spaces, privacy, and luxury. Their motivations for travelling to Italy include shopping, especially in Milan, but new trends include boating vacations and discovering local traditions.”
We spoke to some of the key regional buyers attending BIT Milano. Among them is Raju Vaswani, Sales & Marketing Manager of Airlink International, a leading provider of logistics and travel services based in the United Arab Emirates. “BIT Milano helps develop a new perspective, to study Italy in a more detailed way, so we may offer an enhanced product to the client, rather than just being limited to Rome and Vatican City, and Milan and Lake Como.”
Sushant Sushant Pilankar, Leisure Travel Manager at Uranus Travel, says, “We are not just looking to go beyond the usual itineraries but also trying to understand how we can combine two countries, like, for example, if someone’s travelling to Malta, it would be a good proposition to add an extension of three to four nights in Sicily.
“It helps to innovate, stay productive and be progressive,” says Pilankar.
“Italy is very important in 2025 - it's the Jubilee Year in Rome and Vatican City – every month there are specific services taking place. While travellers visit the country for the Jubilee, they would like to explore other regions as well. We’ve just met a wine experience provider in Sicily, where a private train wagon takes you down the vineyard. This is a great product, whether for the incentive traveller or holidaymakers seeking immersive experiences.”
Hemali Shah, Managing Director of Dubai-headquartered CityOne Tourism & Travel, is attending BIT Milano on the lookout for itineraries for schools – itineraries that not just include the famous landmarks but the more authentic, hidden gems, she tells us.
Mohammed Ali Aldossary, CEO & Founder Wejhah, operates an online and offline travel agency, with a separate division for corporate travel, headquartered in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
“Saudis travel in big families with kids and support staff, seek conveniences such as large and well-connected accommodations and chauffeured vehicles for the entirety of their stay – and they’re happy to pay for these,” he says.
Young Saudis are headed to London, Ibiza and Greece this year, he says. “For couples, we recommend France, Italy, London and Spain – in that order. We are also selling Poland, where a popular itinerary is we start from Warsaw and take a historical train to reach Krakov and from there to explore the local landscape. For the last two years, Moscow has been the craze – my clients have loved the Russian experience in the winter, with the husky rides, and some have also enjoyed a summer in Moscow.
“We have started to book for the summer in Spain and Italy as well – Italy is an important one. The shopping village of La Scala looks like something we will be adding to our tours.”
With an office in Thailand, Founder of Wejhah also sees a lot of traffic to the Asian country in summer.
Ali Wafiq Reda, Tours Development Manager, Alireza Travel & Tours, part of the Saudi conglomerate Haji Abdullah Alireza & Co. (HAACO), caters to a wide scope of clientele from VIPs, private jet travel and royal families on the one hand to individuals, corporates and events on the other.
“Saudis traditionally will head to London and France in the summer. But after the pandemic, Saudis are starting to explore Spain and Italy.
“Last summer, I had a big booking for Italy in Sicily, and in Pisa, another booking in Forte dei Marmi in Tuscany,” he tells TTN.
This summer, London, Geneva and Paris will dominate the holiday landscape for Saudis Reda says, but he sees an increased interest in Italy, with Sicily coming into focus and The Aeolian Islands – seven islands off Palermo – being something that he wishes to include in his itineraries. AT BIT Milano, Reda met some thermal spa operators, which will also feature more in his plans for 2025 as they are a perfect fit for the market, he says.
“This summer I believe the share will be bigger for Spain and Italy when compared to Geneva, France and London, because of their value-for-money offering.
“I hear rumours from Riyadh that Moscow is taking a good shot.”