Publications

The impact of digital technology on the tourism sector continues to increase. At all levels of governance, companies need to acquire the best digital competence to attract and manage tourist flows and guarantee an excellent and lasting experience. The assets available are considerable, but they have not yet been fully appreciated: in-destination activities, food and agri-food, art and culture, fashion and design, sport and entertainment, nature. How should the players compete to attract the flow of digital tourists?

The report analyses the behaviour of the Italian Digital Tourist throughout all customer journey stages (pre-journey, in-travel, post-journey).

Digital innovation is transforming tourism, and Tourists all over the world are more connected and interactive. How can Tourist behaviour be changed? And what about Business Traveller behaviour? Is the offering keeping up with current changes? Will new Big Players have an increasingly relevant role?

In the report, the sector of tourism in Italy is analysed with focus on: size and trends of the digital markets; the behaviour of the Italian digital tourist; the role of the digital system in travel agencies; Italian hospitality facilities and destinations. Additionally, we considered the various digital tools used in Italian agencies to manage business travel. Data gathered from the market and current trends led to high level critical analysis to pin point the strategic importance of innovation and digital tools.

The tourism market is continuing to grow in Italy (up by 3%), driven in part by digital channels, which made 9.5 billion Euros in 2015 (up by 11% on 2014), with nearly one fifth of transactions being through internet. Much has been achieved, but more is possible. How? For example, by understanding when, where, and how tourists use internet.