A discovery journey through art cities, masserie, historic villages and outstanding hospitality venues.
The international fam trip organized by BTM Italy brought more than 100 foreign buyers to Puglia, representing the MICE, Leisure and Wedding segments, mainly from Europe, but also from the USA, Canada, Brazil and Asian countries.
A strategic initiative preceding the B2B event, scheduled for February 25–26 at the Fiera del Levante in Bari, designed to allow international operators to experience Puglia firsthand, turning the destination into a tangible product ready to be marketed worldwide.
From Lecce’s Baroque heritage to the Itria Valley and on to the vibrant heart of Bari, the tour began on Saturday, February 21, with a guided visit of Lecce’s historic center. The following day was dedicated to the Adriatic coast, with a stop in Otranto to visit the Cathedral and the Aragonese Castle, combined with tastings and tours of underground olive oil mills.
In the afternoon, the group moved to Galatina to discover the Basilica of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria and the Chapel of San Paolo, with a tasting of the traditional “pasticciotto” pastry.
On February 23, accompanied by buyer program managers Katja Puretti and Pierfrancesco Chirizzi, together with tour leader Fabio Congedo, the group headed to the Itria Valley, visiting Ostuni, Pezze di Greco in Fasano and Savelletri. In the evening they arrived in Bari, before setting off the next morning toward Monopoli, with a stop in Bitonto, and returning to the city for the official institutional welcome at the Portico dei Pellegrini, just opposite the Basilica of Saint Nicholas.
Two immersive days to explore the region in all its facets, to become familiar with its excellence and, above all, to experience authentic Puglia firsthand, transforming visits into concrete promotional and commercial opportunities for Italian and international markets.
A valuable experiential background in preparation for the B2B days, organized in a meet&match format with open agendas. Participants will meet local hospitality and service providers to develop tourism packages and products for their respective markets. Alongside leisure and wedding tourism, this year also includes the MICE segment (meetings, incentives, conferences and events).
BTM Italy, supported by the Puglia Region and Pugliapromozione, will take place in Bari from February 25 to 27, following a well-established format that combines promotion, training, business and networking.
“Welcoming over one hundred international buyers to Puglia even before the opening of the B2B means promoting a concrete, structured and competitive experience. BTM Italy,” states Graziamaria Starace, Regional Councillor for Tourism and Promotion, “is a strategic platform where promotion turns into stable relationships between supply and demand, and identity becomes a market opportunity. The growth we are building as a Region is responsible growth: distributed across territories, capable of generating lasting value and creating real connections between those who provide hospitality and those who position it on international markets.”
“The collaboration between the Regional Department for Tourism and Promotion, Pugliapromozione and BTM 2026 consolidates a successful strategic path: confirming BTM Italy as the third largest tourism trade fair hub in Italy,” underlines Luca Scandale, Commissioner of Pugliapromozione. “At the Fiera del Levante, until Friday, February 27, BTM hosts hundreds of buyers who have arrived in Puglia from around the world to sign contracts with local sellers. International interest in Puglia is confirmed by 2025 data, released at BIT 2026: total arrivals reached 6.7 million, overnight stays exceeded 22.6 million, with an internationalization rate of 45%. These results directly impact Puglia’s overall economy: forecasts for 2026 indicate that tourism’s contribution to regional GDP will rise to 16%.”
“Participation in the 12th edition of BTM Italy,” explains Alfredo De Liguori, Marketing Manager of Pugliapromozione, “is part of our promotional strategy, including trade fairs, workshops and B2B events, which are essential tools to facilitate the meeting between supply and demand in Puglia’s tourism sector. Now more than ever it is crucial to build and strengthen relationships and update knowledge. The goal is to create a strategic meeting point for public and private operators, offering a direct opportunity to discuss recent achievements and upcoming initiatives. The Pugliapromozione exhibition area at BTM will serve as a hub to update partners on ongoing projects and consolidate new synergies aimed at developing the tourism sector.”
“What we offer,” adds Mary Rossi, Event Manager of BTM Italy, “is a consolidated format that evolves each year while keeping the quality of content and relationships at its core. Participating means joining a dynamic and qualified community, seizing opportunities and creating new connections. The growing interest in the event shows that we are working effectively, also thanks to an increasingly efficient network of operators.”
“Our fam trip,” concludes Nevio D’Arpa, CEO & Founder of BTM Italy, “confirms itself as a strategic step within the internationalization process of Destination Puglia. The initiative aims to provide participants with a direct and authentic experience in the most representative locations of the region, creating the conditions to make the B2B meetings on February 25–26 effective and concrete. For us, dialogue with global markets is a priority, and through BTM Italy we intend to facilitate companies’ access to foreign markets, creating qualified connections and tangible commercial development opportunities.”
