Roots Tourism
International Exchange
The first international trade event devoted to ancestry tourism
IInd EDITION: Matera |
20-21 November 2023
A 2-day event:
networking - training -
business matching
for Italian and International tourism professionals
Roots Tourism
International Exchange
The first international trade event devoted to ancestry tourism
IInd EDITION: Matera |
20-21 November 2023
2-days networking and business matching event for National and International tourism trade professionals
Roots Tourism,
travel itineraries to support identity and self-conciousness for Italian emigrants' descendants
There are 80 million Italians' descendants in the world, frequently interested in discovering their ancestors. This is a very strong driver for planning holidays and travel - and this is a very important insight for Italian regions and tourism action planning.
ROOTS-in wants to elevate competence and expertise of roots tourism professionals offering a comprehensive program of highly professional talks, trainings and networking.
Our Vision
We want to promote and facilitate the knowledge of roots tourism within Italian and international tour operators, with the aim of developing specific packaged tours leading back to the roots, with a specific offer in line with this type of travellers’ requests.
The 2nd, 3rd and 4th generations of Italians in the world visiting Italy are expecting a high emotional travel experience, because they are driven by the desire to get to know their places of origin, to regain possession of their family traditions and personal history.
Our Mission
Roots tourism is an opportunity of destination marketing to let Italian regions grow and benefit from ancestors’ travellers know-how and life experiences .
Why
participate
Our audience
The opening conference is organized in cooperation with ENIT - Italian National Tourism Board and it is directed to travel trade stakeholders, local authorities and to anyone interested in learning more about ancestry tourism- more specifically this year to those wishing to develop local inner areas and small boroughs.
Our B2B workshop targets Italian tourism industry from hospitality to mobility, to business networks and incoming travel agencies and tour operators specialized in experiential tourism, who can get in touch with a selected audience of international buyers, from Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Mexico, USA, UK, Europe.
Alongside with our B2B workshop we will host our ROOTS-in LAB, with speakers on stage to give quick insights, short talks about best practices, useful clues and tools to local travel trade operators.
ROOTS in also stages an exhibition area where you will meet representatives of Italian local authorities and public bodies, associations, chambers of commerce, museums, universities and private firms interested in ancestral tourism.
Our event
20 November
Una Hotel Matera
Conferenza di apertura
Forum e tavoli di lavoro con esperti di rilevanza nazionale e internazionale.
Attività di formazione
Networking
21 November
Una Hotel Matera
Incontri B2B
Workshop
Matching buyer internazionali - seller
Occasioni di confronto
Exhibition area
ITALY FOR ROOTS TOURISM
November 20th - 21st from 10am to 6pm
Exhibition stands from Italian regions, institutions, public bodies, associations, chambers of commerce, museums, universities, private firms.
Conference area
"ROOTS TOURISM AND BOROUGH REGENERATION"
November, 20th from 10am to 1pm
ROOTS in LAB
November, 21st from 10am to 6pm
Opening conference starring National and international experts
Short talks on insights, best practices, useful clues and tools for local trade operators.
Workshop area
ONE-TO-ONE MEETINGS BETWEEN
BUYERS AND SELLERS
November, 20th from 3 to 6pm
November, 21st from 10am to 6pm
Buyers from Countries with a relevant Italian community meet Italian tourism trade with a pre-scheduled meeting agenda
Il progetto
ROOTS in was born in Basilicata, one of the Italian regions with the highest XXth century emigration rate. We want to focus on this specific segment of tourists: curious and passionate travellers of Italian origin, driven by very deep motivations to explore their territories of origin, creating new virtuous connections.
The Basilicata Tourist Board – in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ENIT, Italy National Tourist Board – is hosting the first edition of “Roots Tourism International Exchange”, a two-days event for the entire Travel Trade community and media specialised in ancestry tourism. The opening day is devoted to a panel discussion with Roots Tourism experts of national and international standing. The November 20th conference is open to all.
The second day is strictly a B2B opportunity of business matching and networking. Our workshop with international buyers and sellers from all over Italy is not restricted to the travel industry, but also addresses real estate, talent attraction, fundraising and other strategic sectors, with a focus on younger generations.
The Roots tourist profile
Roots tourists are interested in capturing the essence of the places they visit, often small villages and routes outside standard sight-seeing. They appreciate the cultural aspects of the area and interactions with locals.
They are very emotionally involved, and they wish to strengthen an emotional bond with a distant place, known only in pictures or in the stories of family members.
It becomes crucial to consider these travellers not as ordinary tourists, but as members of the community, special guests who will then become ambassadors themselves of their homeland once back in their own Country.
Join us
ROOTS-in is an unmissable opportunity for travel trade agencies and T.O. and specialized media to facilitate the “back-to-the-roots” tourism movement, in order to develop specific tourist packages for this type of traveller . It is organized by APT – Agenzia di Promozione Territoriale Basilicata in cooperation with ENIT - Italian National Tourism Board to help enhance ancestral, homecoming tourism flows with ad-hoc products and services expressly made for roots tourists.
