This morning, at the Nuova Fiera del Levante in Bari, the XII edition of BTM Italy, an international tourism fair, officially opened.
The ribbon-cutting, attended by Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanchè, marked the start of three days of work that see Puglia at the center of the international tourism debate with over 600 exhibitors and 120 buyers from around the world.
A lively first day from the perspective of public participation, which crowded the conference rooms and exhibition areas, testifying to how fairs are still considered a privileged tool for connection and networking.
The Minister herself emphasized this just before the panel titled “Tourism as Industrial Policy: Competitiveness, Territories, and Markets” alongside Marina Lalli - President of Federturismo Confindustria; Graziamaria Starace - Tourism Councillor of the Puglia Region; Ivana Jelinic - CEO of ENIT SpA; Antonio Maria Vasile - President of Aeroporti di Puglia.
“BTM - said Daniela Santanchè - is a beautiful fair that is growing more and more, just as Italian tourism is growing: the first data tells us of an increase in 2026, also thanks to the impact of the Winter Olympics, and a greater attractiveness of the shoulder months. The South, which in January sees a +3% in tourist arrivals, and Puglia, which in 2025 was the southern region with the highest growth rate in arrivals and overnight stays, are integral parts of this success. And tourism is one of the main assets of industrial growth in the Mezzogiorno, which in recent years has recorded figures above the Italian average, and I believe this is another great goal achieved by the Meloni Government. But Puglia - she added - must also learn to look beyond beach tourism. It must promote the territories more, work on quality, and encourage destagionalization policies. We must understand, together with the regional councillor with whom we have an excellent relationship, where to invest for the next five years. There are many types of tourism, and we must aim for the diversification of the offer. In this perspective, the Mediterranean Games will be a great opportunity, both for Taranto and for Puglia and for all of Italy: an extraordinary occasion for economic, tourist, and territorial growth, which will give us a new opportunity, after the success of Milan Cortina, to show the world our value”.
On the economic front, the minister reiterated that the most significant figure is not that of arrivals but of spending: 185 billion in 2025, seven billion more than the previous year. “I am interested in quality, not predatory tourism. And by quality, I mean not luxury but the level of service, which also comes from training”.
Finally, there was also a strong call for national unity. “There is no right or left tourism, there is tourism of Italy”.
Santanchè cited the recently concluded Olympics as an example of collective success and announced her support for the Mediterranean Games in Taranto: “I will cheer, because I am from all of Italy”.
Also present at the inauguration was Graziamaria Starace, Regional Councillor for Tourism and Promotion of the Puglia Region, who stated: "The inauguration of BTM in Bari comes at a decisive moment for Puglia. 2026 is the horizon within which we are redefining the very sense of our tourism proposal. In the mainstream of global tourism, which often consumes places and makes them interchangeable, we choose another path: a Puglia that presents itself as a conscious experience, as a territory that grows while remaining true to its soul. BTM Italy becomes a strategic platform in this context. Talking about the re-generation of territories between villages and cities means taking on a precise political responsibility: putting communities back at the center, mending the fractures between the coast and internal areas, transforming growth into balance”.
“The collaboration between BTM Italy, the Puglia Region, and Pugliapromozione marks a crucial phase for our region, - said Luca Scandale, Commissioner of Pugliapromozione– because after the more than positive data on flows in 2025, 2026 will mark a redefinition of the Puglia tourism identity, which values a model based on awareness and authenticity. The goal is to promote an experience capable of growing without losing the connection to its roots. In this scenario, BTM 2026 is a strategic tool for comparison and development. The re-qualification of territories, from villages to internal areas, becomes a clear political choice, that of bringing local communities back to the center and mending the gap between the coast and the inland areas.”
Puglia confirms itself as a crossroads of tourism innovation thanks to BTM Italy, the event that for twelve years has put territories, businesses, and institutions in dialogue, transforming today into a true national laboratory on the future of the sector. Not just a fair, but a platform for concrete comparison on key issues of innovation and sustainability.
“I am very satisfied with how this first day went and to see BTM transformed into such an authoritative hub - declared Nevio D’Arpa, CEO and founder of the event -. Today we are not just a fair, but a place where the Italian system confronts itself concretely on the challenges of innovation and sustainability. In twelve years, the event has certainly grown, but the roots are always the same: to create a moment of contact between territories and businesses, offering the opportunity to be authentically known by the public, also proposing a clear and updated vision of a constantly evolving market”.
The work of BTM Italy 2026 will continue until Friday, February 27. Tomorrow, Thursday, February 26, we highlight:
- 11:35 AM - Think Tank Room: Barbara Carfagna will be the protagonist of the meeting "Journey to Discover Possible Worlds: Innovation, Ethics, and Society". Interviewed by Edoardo Colombo, the journalist will explore the frontiers of technology applied to tourism and the impact of new digital models on our society.
- 1:20 PM - Main Arena: Space for architectural and environmental vision with the Lectio Magistralis of architect Stefano Boeri. Interviewed by Beppe Giaccardi. Boeri, in his speech titled “From World Park to Park Italy. An Ecological Vision for the Territory and Tourism” will offer an approach in which tourism becomes an integral part of an ecological and cultural vision, capable of generating social, environmental, and economic value.
- 4:40 PM - Main Arena: Heading Towards the Future: the Development of Nautical Tourism in Puglia with Giuseppe Meo - President of SNIM; Antonio Decaro - President of the Puglia Region and Angelo Zerilli - Head of National Tourist Portuality.
