THE GENERAL STATES OF TOURIST INFORMATION STARTS
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| from left: Josep Ejarque, Cristina Mottironi, Stefano Passaquindici, Sabrina Talarico, Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, Barbara Mazzali, Paolo Pizzocaro |
States General GIST at Palazzo Lombardia:
tourism
has changed, information takes up the challenge
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| MILAN, 2 October 2024 – In recent decades, tourism has grown, becoming mass and on a global scale. But he has also specialized, uses new technological tools and pays attention to respecting the environment. An evolution that also pushes tourist information to change, which must adapt to new needs and means. With an openness, but also attention, to innovations, such as Artificial Intelligence. It was discussed today at Palazzo Lombardia, at 2nd edition of the GIST General States on Tourist Informationorganized, today and tomorrow, in collaboration with the Lombardy Region, Tourism Department, and with the patronage of ENIT.
Under the direction of the President of the GIST Italian Tourist Press Group Sabrina Talarico and the Councilor for Tourism, Territorial Marketing and Fashion of the Lombardy Region, Barbara Mazzali, over 300 people journalists, institutions and stakeholders from the world of tourism discussed four thematic tables, with related coordinators: “AI technologies: challenges, opportunities and risks” (coordinators Domenico Palladino and Mark Perna), “Information supply chain, a pact to be rebuilt” (coordinators Alessandra Gesuelli and Ada Mascheroni), “Sustainability and new journalistic specializations” (coordinators Ornella D’Alessio and Pier Giorgio Oliveti), “Tourist publishing, models and means of communication” (coordinator Federico Geremei).
“Tourism – he declared Sabrina Talarico president of GIST – closed 2023 with record numbers: 451 million visitors, (+3.3%), 100 billion in tourist spending, 74 billion in revenue to the treasury, 3 million employed, per capita spending of 350 euros. The sector represents 13% of GDP and the estimate for the next few years is of net growth. In contrast to this growth, tourist publishing is in severe crisis, both in terms of space occupied within the media and quality of content”.
“The purpose of the States General of Tourist Information – continued Talarico – is precisely to understand this contradictory phenomenon, draw a road map for the future, finding advantageous solutions for the media, encouraging courageous choices to protect free information, taking up the technological challenges, which must not frighten journalists. The States General aim to be a moment of analysis and reflection, useful for examining the present while looking to the future, understanding the challenges and opportunities of travel publishing, seeking a balance between the financial sustainability of the sector and the independence of the media. The objective is to restore authority to tourist information, rebuild the pact of trust with readers and create a virtuous circle that sees tourism publishing as the main means of promoting Italian tourism”.
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| “For some time now we have been witnessing the growing globalization of tourism, with travelers moving to every corner of the planet,” he observed Councilor Barbara Mazzali-. The world has become a destination that can be explored by anyone, thanks to technology and affordable means of transport. Many destinations that were once considered remote, even dangerous, such as Asia, Africa and South America, are now among the travel choices of many. Changes that have also opened the doors to new flows of tourists from countries once defined as ’emerging’, for example, China and Brazil. A global offer of tourist destinations has thus been created, as well as specialized in many ‘tourisms’, which leads to tight and variable competition, but also produces new opportunities”. |
| Those present at the inauguration of the States General, which took place in the Marco Biagi Hall of the Lombardy Region, spoke about the application of AI in the creation of content, sustainability, market trends, the need to guide tourism development and transformative tourism: Sabrina Talarico president of GIST Italian Tourist Press Group, Barbara Mazzali regional councilor for Tourism, territorial marketing and fashion of the Lombardy RegionAlessandra Priante ENIT president (connected), Cristina Mottironidirector of the MET Master in Economics and Tourism at Bocconi University in Milan, Josep Ejarquedestination manager and tourist communication expert, Paolo Pizzocarodirector of the Travel & Industry Unit at Fiera Milano e Alfonso Pecoraro Scanioformer Minister of the Environment, professor of sustainable tourism and president of Univerde.
The inauguration of the States General was preceded by a professional training courseorganized by GIST with training credits from the Order of Journalists of Lombardy, whose theme was “Generative AI for tourism journalism”, with teachers Filippo Poletti, Andrea Paternostro and Luca Maniscalco.
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| “At the forefront of the promotion of ‘new tourism’ stands the tourist press, which is also experiencing changes and challenges – he concluded Barbara Mazzali-. As Councilor for Tourism, I appreciate and support the value of this type of information, convinced that those who seriously deal with describing the territories assist institutions and operators in offering value to the complex promotional activity. In fact, you too at GIST, with your work, celebrate and make one place famous, rather than another, to encourage a trip to a place that deserves it. It is you journalists who write about tourism trends, such as food and wine, which is very popular among foreign tourists today.”
The work will be closed tomorrow 3 October with a press conference which will take place at 11.30 am in Palazzo Lombardia, (Press Room 11th floor entrance N1), during which the final document of the General States of Tourist Information wanted by the Gist will be presented, which will see the next edition in 2026.
Information: [email protected]
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