Golden beaches, plateaus marked by dry stone walls and centuries-old olive and carob trees, blue flag sea and then Baroque monuments that have become World Heritage Sites. The unique tourist destination Enjoy Barocco fascinates and bewitches its visitors but also the many tour operators who were able to appreciate it through the promotional activities developed in Rimini at TTG Travel Experience 2024, one of the most important tourism fairs in Europe. An important opportunity for the enhancement of cultural and sustainable tourism of the destination and in general of the Sicilian Southeast. The Destination Management Organization,(DMO), (an organization for the management of tourist destinations), hosted in the institutional space of the Sicilian Region and coordinated by GAL Terra Barocca, highlighted the tourism project in a context of great prestige, gaining considerable visibility and arousing the interest of international operators and buyers. They were shown the next strategies that will be implemented by GAL Terra Barocca for the Dmo project Enjoy Barocco.
“Participation at the TTG Travel Exhibition in Rimini was of fundamental importance,” explains Salvatore Occhipinti, director of GAL Terra Barocca, “The Enjoy Barocco brand is becoming increasingly recognized both nationally and internationally. This event is in continuity with our last participations at the BIT in Milan, where we have already presented significant collaborations, such as the video produced with Lonely Planet and the food and wine guide produced with Gambero Rosso.” Simone Tumino, LAG representative at the fair and team coordinator, also gave a positive assessment of the experience: “The TTG Travel Exhibition is by now the most important event in the national sphere as far as tourism is concerned, both as a meeting between supply and demand and as a promotion of new destinations. The presence of Enjoy Barocco was positive thanks to the contribution of our operators who manned the stations inside the Sicilian Region’s booth.”
Occhipinti also emphasized the importance of involving representatives from the five tourist information and reception centers in the LAG municipalities, “We wanted to have a representative from each center participate, not only to promote the area, but also to increase the sense of belonging to the DMO and make them feel part of a united team in the enhancement of Terra Barocca.”
Short- and long-term goals
The Terra Barocca GAL has well-defined goals for the project. Enjoy Barocco, with concrete expectations both in the short and long term. “Our immediate goal,” Occhipinti explained, “is to obtain accreditation as a DMO from the Sicilian Region, in order to represent Southeast Sicily, an area that is still undervalued in the tourism scene. The path to this recognition has been meticulous, with years of work based on a scientific-academic approach and a development master plan built through collaboration with local stakeholders. “We are ready to reap the benefits of this work,” Occhipinti further added, “and to transform ourselves into a Destination Management System (DMS). In the long term, the LAG aims to establish a Community Foundation to manage and promote the tourism destination Enjoy Barocco. “This will allow us to ensure participatory governance, involving both public entities and private operators,” Occhipinti said.
Tumino commented on the importance of becoming an accredited DMO: “This is one of the greatest opportunities for our area. It has been interesting to observe the work done by other DMOs in Italy, which have been able to develop public-private synergies and do area marketing under one brand.”
Feedback and opportunities from the fair
During the days of the fair, Enjoy Barocco he received a lot of positive feedback. “There has been great interest in our area,” said Tumino, “Operators who were already familiar with the ‘Baroque Land’ are including our locations in their itineraries for the new season. In particular, the idea of having a unique portal, www.enjoybarocco.com, has been very much appreciated, especially by wedding travel agencies, which welcome a single point of contact for organizing weddings and events.” He also pointed out that “participation has allowed us to establish contacts with operators from outside the LAG area who are interested in collaborating with us. Our speech on October 10 at the Sicily booth caught the attention of the regional administration, opening up further possibilities for collaboration.”
Innovation and sustainability
The fair also offered unexpected insights. “It was surprising to see the innovations on the use of artificial intelligence in tourism, especially with regard to data collection and market forecast management,” Tumino further said. “We observed established models of price governance that are able to respond to rapid changes in the market. In addition, the continued focus on sustainability and eco-friendly policies emerged as a crucial element in attracting tourists who are more sensitive to these issues.”
Marketing strategy for 2024-2025
The marketing strategy for the biennium 2024-2025 aims at a significant economic and tourism impact in the territory. “We have allocated about 620,000 euros for the promotion of the territory,” reiterates Director Occhipinti, “with funds earmarked for events in the tourism, cultural, agribusiness and sports sectors, as well as participation in fairs and the organization of educational tours. Among the novelties is the introduction of advanced technologies: “We are starting an experimental Artificial Intelligence project in tourist information centers, coordinated by Prof. Rodolfo Baggio of Bocconi, to offer increasingly personalized travel experiences.”
The management of this strategy will be entrusted to Christian Del Bono, recently appointed Destination Manager, with the support of the tourism and agribusiness observatory coordinated by Prof. Marco Platania of the University of Catania. “Thanks to these tools, we will be able to anticipate the needs of travelers and influence their choices,” Occhipinti stressed.
Importance of international events
Attendance at fairs such as the TTG in Rimini is considered crucial for GAL Terra Barocca. “Participating in international events is essential to strengthen our visibility in the market,” Occhipinti said. “For this reason, we also plan to be present at the upcoming BIT in Milan and fairs in Munich, Paris or Berlin, in line with our new marketing strategy.”
Supporting tourism into the future
Looking to the future, GAL Terra Barocca will continue to invest in sustainable tourism through the PSR Sicily 2023-2027. “Our vision is always medium to long term,” Occhipinti concludes, “We will continue to develop the tourism and agribusiness observatory and implement innovative tools to adapt to market needs. Our ultimate goal is to create a solid and inclusive governance for the destination, through the Community Foundation.”
The success at TTG Rimini 2024 confirms the potential of Enjoy Barocco as an innovative and sustainable destination, ready to consolidate its position on the international scene and pursue a growth strategy that enhances the cultural heritage of Baroque Sicily.
