(by Marzia Apice).
Italian wedding destinations are
increasingly popular, according to data released by the
Florence-based Tourism research center Centro Studi ahead of the
'Buy Wedding in Italy Tour' event running from February 23
through April 11.
The center said that 7,000 foreign couples picked an Italian
destination for their wedding in 2015, spending on average
54,000 euros.
Overall, the wedding business generated over 330,000 arrivals
and a total of 1.1 million tourists in Italy that year,
according to the research center.
The roadshow kicking off on February 23 is organized by
Bussolaeventi, the company behind the Buy Wedding in Italy, a
platform for wedding planners.
The event, including workshops and meetings, is scheduled to
start in Florence and then move to Padua, Bari, Turin, Naples,
Milan and Palermo.
Its aim is to help wedding professionals and companies
conquer new foreign clients who are attracted by superb Italian
settings as a backdrop for their special day.
The idea is to stimulate specific areas to offer tailor-made
packages of the best local Italian traditions with an
international touch, organizers said.
Bianca Trusiani, coordinator of the technical committee of
Buy Wedding in Italy, said at the presentation of the roadshow
on Wednesday that the best strategy to win over new clients is
to differentiate packages based on budget and the couple's
nationality, offering a wide range of services, from flowers and
catering to photos and the wedding dress.
Packages should include cheaper options such as a 'full-day
wedding', a symbolic wedding for the couple, to a large event at
a five-star resort, said Trusiani.
"Offers must be personalized based on the perception a client
has of Italy: Indian nationals view us differently from
Americans, and the same is true for couples from the East or
immigrants who come back to rediscover their Italian roots".
Trusiani noted that "any place can become a destination for a
wedding: what counts is being competent, professional and
specialized" in order to offer packages inspired by the Italian
lifestyle yet suitable for international costumers and their
different expectations.
"We want to start from a local dimension to reach the foreign
market", said Trusiani.
Following the roadshow, the 2017 edition of the Buy Wedding
in Italy trade fair is scheduled to take place at the Fiera di
Bologna on October 20-22, to coincide with the Bologna Si Sposa
and Gay Bride fairs also organized in the northern city.
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