The season of international tourism exhibitions has begun and with it the well-known festival of “missions” from Regions and Municipalities. Dozens of local government officials, mainly elected officials, are already traveling abroad to “promote” their place, with the first stop being Paris and IFTM Top Resa 2025.
But with what planning and with what strategy do they start? Who prepared them for the market they will encounter? How well do they know the tourist they are addressing – the French, the Scandinavian, the British, the American? Have they studied his needs, his motivations, his habits? Or do they simply carry a list of attractions and the same general narrative for everyone?
And then, what feedback do they bring back? What results do they measure? Which agreements or contacts can they say with concrete evidence that they succeeded? Because for now, all we see are numerous delegations taking photos, sending press releases and recycling phrases like “we strengthened our presence”.
The reality is that with such “performances”, tourism becomes a tool for internal political use. The photos and posts return to convince voters, not to bring tourists. And while international competitors speak in a targeted manner, with professionals who know each market, we limit ourselves to “we were there too”.
Thus, tourism exhibitions increasingly resemble school trips promoting internal consumption. Lots of photos, little substance. Because without a plan, targeting and a tailored message, these trips end up being just… tourism for themselves. And as long as we continue like this, the only thing we “sell” is our lack of strategy.
We’re talking about 2025…is anyone listening?
