Ionian Islands Region at Milan Tourism Exhibition

(Ionian Islands Regional Authority) After many years, the Ionian Islands Region participated with great success this year, with its own independent, modern and elegant pavilion at the BIT 2025 International Tourism Exhibition in Milan.

BIT is a globally influential exhibition that took place at the FIERAMILANO RHO exhibition centre from February 9 to 11. According to the organisers' data, this year's event featured over a thousand exhibitors from 62 countries worldwide, as well as nearly all Italian regions and hundreds of invited buyers from around the world. Of these, 45% came from Europe, including Italy, 27% from the Americas, and 18% from Australia and Oceania. The exhibition attracted more than 43,000 visitors, according to estimates from the organisers.

BIT 2025 focused on the ever-evolving tourism industry, with key themes including technology, sustainability, traveller experiences, and gastronomy. Adapting to new demands and offering personalised and authentic experiences has become essential. The exhibition served as a forum for tourism professionals to stay informed about the latest trends in the travel sector, with the "Bringing Innovation Into Travel" presentations highlighting areas such as artificial intelligence, the digital era, sustainability in tourism, and emotional travel.

The Ionian Islands Region's booth had a large number of visitors every day—on the first day from the general public, as the exhibition was open to all, and on the following two days from industry professionals.

During the exhibition, promotional materials—both printed and digital—were distributed at the Ionian Islands Region's booth. Numerous meetings were held with tour operators, travel agents, journalists, bloggers, and social media professionals, who showed great interest in our region’s islands. Additionally, Italian companies, including ferry and cruise operators, promoted cruise and travel packages to Corfu for the Easter season as part of the exhibition.

Regarding Greek participation in BIT 2025, apart from the Ionian Islands Region, only the Region of Crete took part, as the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) has not participated in this exhibition for many years.

The Ionian Islands Region was represented at the Milan exhibition by Giorgos Papavlasopoulos, Head of the Tourism Department of the Corfu Regional Unit.

Photos: Ionian Islands Regional Authority