In the Leisure area of BIT there is ample space for Italian regions and local authorities, present from north to south, with a varied offer, for a virtual journey through the Peninsula: among the destinations, Sicily stands out, which in recent years has been able to promote its territories abroad and in Italy, intercepting new incoming flows.

As Elvira Amata, Regional Councillor for Tourism, confirms, “the data for the first ten months of the current year, although only provisional, already provide elements that contribute to a climate of optimism and tend to hint at good margins for an even better final balance than in recent years. The cumulative figure for the January-October 2023 period shows, in fact, more than 14 million 912 thousand total presences, an increase of 7.0% compared to the same period in 2022.” The figure is even more macroscopic if one looks at the foreign component which “reached +19.8% over the January-October 2022 period and actually drove the trend of tourist flows in our region.”

It is an encouraging framework that gives us a picture of a lively, dynamic and constantly growing industry. “We are moving in this direction,” Amata explains, “above all to strengthen and implement the seasonal adjustment of the flows and the diversification of the offer.” The Sicilian tourist proposal is aiming at 'a tourist offer that is as complementary and integrated as possible [...], from roots tourism, to sustainable tourism, cine-tourism, experiential tourism, slow tourism, nature tourism, sports  tourism - to mention only a few examples,” Amata continues.

Moreover, the Sicilian territory as a whole expresses a peculiar and heterogeneous connotation characterised by a vast cultural, food and wine and artistic offer. “There are no less than seven sites recognised as “UNESCO world heritage” sites,” reports Amata, “including the Valley of the Temples, the Baroque of the Val di Noto, the Arab-Norman Itinerary of Palermo, Monreale and Cefalù, and the Aeolian Islands. Our territory ranks at the top of the list of UNESCO sites out of all the Italian regions. Further excellence can be traced back to the inestimable cultural heritage represented by the network of theatres and opera-symphonic foundations, the crown jewel of our region.”

Amata continues: “We imagine an evolution of demand in a direction that goes beyond the traditional one that sees Sicily as a purely summertime destination.” For this reason, she concludes, “our programming includes, among other activities, institutional participation in the various exhibitions and trade fairs, within which BIT plays a privileged role: it represents a strategic appointment for the Department's own purposes. Our primary objective linked to our presence at BIT is related to the need to give a significant boost to the “Sicily brand” through the promotion of the territory and the architectural, landscape, cultural and monumental heritage that our region expresses.”