Fiavet Cancels Morocco Congress, Moves to Riva del Garda
Tourism is one of the “victims” of terrorism, and the leadership of Fiavet (Italian Federation of Travel Agencies and Tourism Businesses), which brings together Italian travel agencies, cancels the congress originally scheduled in Morocco, in Agadir, and moves it to Riva del Garda.
It was a true task force to enable the Palacongressi-Fiera to give its approval for the organization on Lake Garda and in very short timeframes (less than two weeks from the original date of October 11-13). This was made possible through close contacts maintained by the working group coordinated by Mario Malossini, head of institutional relations and public relations at Palacongressi, and composed of Provincial Tourism Councillor Marco Benedetti, the president of Apt of the area Enio Meneghelli, the head of Fiavet Trentino Bruschetti, and TTG Incontri manager Audino, with national leaders of Fiavet, represented by President Antonio Tozzi and Director Alberto Corti.
Impact and participants of the event
CEO of TTg Italia, Paolo Audino, stated that “the extraordinary session of the confederate gathering of travel agents aims to offer an opportunity for dialogue and analysis at a time when the sector requires strong unity.”
For the national congress of Fiavet, an organization that brings together 6,500 Italian travel agencies, with 8,500 points of sale and 40,000 employees, as many as 450 delegates are expected to Riva del Garda.
For the 38th edition of TTG Incontri, participation is expected from eight thousand specialized operators representing major Tour Operators, airline companies, and global hotel chains.
Economic impact and issues addressed
To give an idea of the economic impact of the organizations represented by Fiavet and thus of the importance of the event hosted on Lake Garda, it suffices to say that last year’s total revenue of the represented companies was approximately 25 trillion euros (four times the budget of the Autonomous Province of Trento), which contributed significantly to the positive balance of the tourism payments balance in 2000.
This revenue is on average divided into 50% from the sale of packages and tourism services, 40% from airline, train, and bus ticketing, and 10% from other services.
A key topic to be addressed during the congress will be the market repercussions caused by the attacks in the United States. An initial estimate values the average daily loss for the sector in Italy at about 25-30 billion euros, with employment repercussions possibly affecting between 4,500 and 6,000 workers. However, according to Giancarlo Abete, president of Federturismo, jobs at risk especially within travel agencies and tour operators could be as many as 12,000.
The subject will also be at the center of the Open Forum “International Emergency: How Tourism Reacts,” scheduled for Friday, October 12, at 2 p.m., in the Lorenzo il Magnifico hall at Palafiere.
