BIT 2026 in Milan: a trade-fair shift that puts people, collaboration and stories back at the center of the tourism business
From 10 to 12 February 2026, Milan hosted BIT 2026 (Borsa Internazionale del Turismo), one of the most important travel trade fairs in Italy, and this year’s edition left the impression of a strategic shift in how international tourism fairs are conceived. Instead of the classic “booths-products-destinations” logic, the organizers put the “Travel Makers” concept in the foreground – the people and organizations that shape travel as an experience, a relationship and an identity. This shift is not just a slogan, but an attempt to turn a market meeting into a place where agreements are made about what tourism will look like in the next cycle: with more technology, but also more responsibility toward local communities.
An important part of the context is also the moment in which BIT was held: in the same period when Italy is in global focus because of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, whose official schedule lists dates from 6 to 22 February 2026. Such a “superposition” of a sports mega-event and a tourism fair further amplified the topic of destination visibility, logistics, security, crowd management and the city’s reputation. For visitors and business participants coming to Lombardy in those days, the question was also very practical: how to organize arrival and stay, and find
accommodation for visitors to Milan that matches the rhythm of the fair and other events in the city.
“Travel Makers”: from selling packages toward building relationships
The “Travel Makers” concept is envisioned as a broader umbrella that brings together the entire value chain: from tourism boards and destination management, through agencies, airlines and hotel groups, to technology platforms, content creators and experience specialists. The message is clear: tourism can no longer be reduced to a catalog and a price list, but to the ability to connect the interests of travelers, the economy and local communities. In practice, this means that collaboration is increasingly sought between sectors that used to work in parallel, but today must create common standards, narratives and models of sustainable growth.
This framework was especially emphasized through the program core of BIT 2026, the so-called Travel Makers Fest. The organizers state that it is a three-day program arranged across six “plazas”, with more than 200 sessions and about six hours per day of discussions, seminars and talks. At the center were topics that have been shaking the industry in recent years: artificial intelligence, changes in traveler behavior, digital distribution, mobility, sustainability, but also what is often overlooked in business presentations – storytelling and trust. For part of the audience that comes to Milan both on business and as visitors, there is also a natural interest in
accommodation offers in Milan, because fair days require a stay “within walking distance” or at least good transport connections to the Rho-Fiera area.
Numbers that confirm the ambition: exhibitors, international reach and buyers
According to media reports and announcements, BIT 2026 brought together more than 1,000 exhibitors, with a strong international component and participation of buyers from several dozen countries. It is not only about the “size” of the fair, but about the message such a structure sends: interest in the Italian market and in the Mediterranean remains strong, and business talks are increasingly focused on the quality of the offer and the traveler profile, and less on merely increasing volume. In such an environment, Milan also positions itself as a hub that is not only a fashion and industrial metropolis, but also a place where tourism trends for Europe are negotiated.
In discussions that accompany such events, it is often emphasized that destinations are no longer looking only for “visibility”, but also for demand-management instruments: how to spread visits across the season, how to reduce pressure on the most burdened city zones, and how to avoid conflicts between residents’ needs and visitors’ expectations. In Milan, where the city’s pulse changes during weeks of major events, this becomes a daily-life issue – from transport to prices. It is no coincidence that some visitors plan their stay in advance and look for
accommodation close to fair events in Milan, in order to reduce logistical risks and time costs.
AI, data and personalization: technology as a tool, not an end
Artificial intelligence was one of the central themes because the tourism sector is rapidly relying on automation of customer support, personalization of offers, price optimization and predictive demand models. But the message running through the debates was not “AI will replace people”, but “AI can take over routine – and leave relationships to people”. This also includes ethical questions: transparency of recommendations, protection of personal data, as well as the risk that algorithms “lock” travelers into narrow patterns, always offering them similar content and impoverishing the discovery experience.
For destinations and travel organizers, AI also opens an opportunity for better distribution of tourist flows. If demand can be predicted, it is easier to manage capacities, reduce peaks and relieve infrastructure. But that presupposes data sharing and cooperation between the public and private sectors, which fits into the “Travel Makers” logic – a shared ecosystem, not a series of isolated players.
Storytelling and destination reputation: trust as the new currency
One of the more pronounced changes in the tourism industry is the fact that travelers no longer “buy” only nights or transport, but meaning and the safety of the experience. In that sense, storytelling becomes a business tool: not as a marketing trick, but as a way to explain the destination, set expectations and build a reputation. For cities like Milan, which simultaneously carry the identity of a cultural center, a business metropolis and an event destination, reputation depends on a range of factors – from public transport and crowds to the attitude toward visitors.
That is why part of the discussions was also devoted to the “soft” elements of the tourism product: heritage interpretation, inclusion of local creative scenes, development of neighborhood itineraries and promotion of lesser-known content. In such an approach, cooperation with local actors becomes key, because authenticity cannot be produced in a conference hall. At the same time, visitors who come on business increasingly extend their stay and plan additional days in the city, so the interest in
accommodation for an extended stay in Milan logically increases.
Wider European framework: tourism has recovered, but pressure on management is growing
BIT 2026 was held in a period when international tourism continues to grow. UN Tourism stated in its releases that international tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2025 increased, with emphasis on different regional dynamics in Europe. Such a trend means that 2026 and 2027 will be years in which, alongside growth, the need for management also increases: how to prevent overloading the most popular destinations, how to align short-term rentals with housing for the local population, and how to ensure that tourism income does not come with a social cost that creates political tensions.
Italy is also an example of a country that achieves a large economic effect from tourism. In its research on international tourism, the Bank of Italy states that in 2024 a tourism balance surplus of 21.2 billion euros (about 1% of GDP) was recorded, illustrating the financial importance of the sector. For the industry gathered at BIT, such data are not abstract: they affect investments, branding strategies, negotiations with airlines and capacity planning, but also the public policies of cities and regions.
Why BIT 2026 was not “just another fair”
In the BIT 2026 format one can recognize an attempt to move travel trade fairs away from mere “showcasing the offer” and make them a place where the industry agrees on standards and a direction of development. “Travel Makers” as a concept suggests that a destination’s competitiveness is measured less and less by the number of flyers and square meters of exhibition space, and more and more by the ability to build partnerships, deliver a quality experience and manage the impact of tourism in the long term.
Such a direction is especially important for European cities that are both economic centers and tourist magnets. In February 2026, Milan was not only the stage of the fair, but also a laboratory in which one could see what it means to be a “city in global focus” – with major events, increased mobility and visitor expectations. BIT 2026 turned that story into a professional debate: how to use visibility without losing control; how to introduce innovations while keeping hospitality; and how, in the age of algorithms, to return to the basics – the people who create tourism day by day.
Sources:- Fiera Milano / BIT – Travel Makers Fest program page (structure of “plazas”, number of sessions and program framework) (link)- Fiera Milano / BIT – announcement on the link between BIT 2026 and the Olympic year (dates of the event and event context) (link)- Morning Italy (ITALPRESS) – report on BIT 2026 readiness and exhibitor/international presence figures (more than 1,000 exhibitors, participating countries, buyers) (link)- UN Tourism – release on the growth of international tourist arrivals in Q1 2025 (trends and regional data) (link)- Bank of Italy – Survey on International Tourism 2024 (tourism balance and key indicators) (link)- Olympics.com – official Milano Cortina 2026 schedule (official dates of the Winter Olympic Games) (link)
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