Travel Innovation

The Travel Innovation Observatory was established in 2014 to study and understand the evolution of one of the most significant economic sectors in Italy: Tourism. Also operative is the Business Travel Observatory established in 2019 in partnership with the University of Bologna.

The goal is to guide Italian companies, institutions, and tourist destinations (in Italy and abroad) in understanding industry dynamics in terms of demand and to support them in identifying innovation opportunities.

The Observatory Community consist of several thousand companies across all areas of Italy.

Innovation in Tourism Observatory Research

Within the Annual Edition, the Travel Innovation Observatory conducts the following Research activities:

• demand analysis to identify the changes impacting on the tourist journey, looking into emerging trends regarding open air tourism, food and wine tourism, mobility at destination, payment instruments, and never-ending tourism;
• estimate the value of the eCommerce and Tourism market in Italy, investigating the sectors in depth including accommodation, mobility towards and at destination, open air, and experiential tourism;
• estimate the value of the business travel market in Italy, by analyzing booked services, destinations, purpose, and booking tools;
• monitor the innovation frontier of the supply system at international level, analyzing digital and data-driven innovation, new business models, and sustainability strategies for supply chain players and for destination management.

Innovation in Tourism Observatory Research is based on empirical analysis that through surveys, case studies, and interviews, reaches tens of thousands of hotel and non-hotel accommodations and travel agents each year, along with hundreds of Italian and international technology providers, startups, corporate travel managers, and destination management organizations. Primary source research is paired with constant monitoring of academic and professional secondary sources.