2,800 exhibiting brands, more than 1,000 international buyers and around 15,000 business meetings: the TTG Travel Experience 2026 in Rimini has once again underlined its standing as one of Italy's most important travel trade fairs. Vivere in Italien was also there in person. Alongside many interesting conversations, there were several personal firsts for us, as well as one significant insight.
From Pozzuoli to Rimini is roughly 550 kilometres. The journey by car took around six hours, crossing the Italian peninsula from one side to the other. Our route took us through the Abruzzo, past impressive mountain landscapes and views that alone made the drive worthwhile. A truly magnificent stretch of road, which reminded us once again just how varied Italy's scenery is.
Arriving in Rimini, the picture was quite different. The well-known seaside resort on the Adriatic coast, one of Italy's great tourist hotspots in summer, felt almost deserted in mid-October. The season was over, and many hotels and tourist facilities had already closed. For us, this was no problem at all. A comfortable, no-frills hotel room was easily found, and the following morning a shuttle bus took us straight to the exhibition centre. The organisation was excellent throughout.
2,800 brands and 15,000 business meetings
From 14 to 16 October, the Rimini exhibition centre played host to the 63rd edition of the TTG Travel Experience , held alongside the co-located InOut (The Hospitality Community). The scale was impressive: 28 exhibition halls, around 140,000 square metres of floor space and 2,800 exhibiting brands.
According to the organiser, Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), more than 1,000 international buyers travelled to Rimini. In total, around 15,000 business meetings were recorded. International participation showed particularly strong growth: the exhibition space taken by foreign exhibitors increased by eight per cent, and the number of international exhibitors rose by eleven per cent. A total of 75 countrieswere represented, including eleven first-time exhibiting nations. The fair thus reaffirmed its role as a key gathering point for the international travel and tourism industry.
We ourselves spent the whole of Thursday, 15 October, at TTG. Our impression matched the organisers' positive assessment: busy halls, a genuinely good atmosphere , and people striking up conversations everywhere. Stands buzzed with discussion, presentations, negotiations and laughter. The mood throughout was open and welcoming.
Our focus: Italy and its regions
Given the sheer size of the fair, concentrating on specific areas was inevitable. For Vivere in Italien, Italian exhibitors were the natural focus. Above all, the aim was to speak with tourist organisations, regional representatives, hoteliers and businesses of relevance to our international Italian-lifestyle magazine.
That decision proved to be the right one. A considerable number of interesting conversations were had and new contacts made. The aim was not only to introduce the magazine, but also to learn more about the work of the various organisations, their projects, and the tourism development of their respective regions. Of particular importance to us was our new home region of Campania. Since September, we have been living in Pozzuoli, west of Naples, and are keen to report even more extensively on the region's tourism offering in the future.
All the more pleasing, then, that in Rimini we were able to meet and interview two key representatives of the regional hotel industry in person: Luca D'Ambra, President of Federalberghi Ischia e Procida, and Roberto Laringe, President of Federalberghi Campi Flegrei. With both, we discussed their regions and local tourism. The Campi Flegrei area around Pozzuoli and the island of Ischia are of particular interest to us. The interviews were recorded and produced with German subtitles for our international social media channels.
The Campi Flegrei are more than an earthquake region
The conversation with Roberto Laringe, President of Federalberghi Campi Flegrei, was of especial personal interest. In my view, the Campi Flegrei suffer from a considerable image problem. When the region appears in the news, it is almost exclusively in connection with earthquakes, damaged buildings, volcanic activity and potential dangers to the population.
Such coverage is, of course, entirely justified. After all, seismic activity is a reality that people here have to live with. However, it creates a very one-sided picture in Germany of a region that has a great deal more to offer. Since we ourselves have been living in Pozzuoli, we have experienced the Campi Flegrei from a completely different perspective. Here one finds remarkable archaeological sites, a history stretching back thousands of years, stunning coastal landscapes, excellent cuisine and numerous places that are barely known outside Italy.
This is precisely where we also see a role for Vivere in Italien. We would like to help ensure that the Campi Flegrei are not perceived internationally solely as an earthquake region, but also as an interesting and versatile travel destination. With our magazine, whose content appears in 16 languages , we can bring this other side of the region to an international audience.
Perhaps the conversations with Federalberghi and other regional partners will give rise to interesting opportunities to place greater emphasis on the tourist and cultural qualities of the Campi Flegrei in the future. For us, this would be not only journalistically rewarding but also a welcome opportunity to contribute to a more positive perception of our new home. Beyond that, a great many further encounters took place with representatives of the Italian tourism industry. Quite a few of those conversations will be continued in the weeks ahead.
Good preparation pays off
A significant part of our successful day at the fair came down to preparation . Svitlana had already established numerous contacts in advance, researched the right people to speak to and arranged appointments. This allowed us to plan our day in Rimini in a focused manner, without having to rely on chance encounters at the various stands. It worked extremely well. Many of those we spoke to took their time, showed genuine interest in our magazine and were open to further dialogue. It reminded me once again of how great the difference can be between a personal meeting and the conventional approach of making contact by e-mail.
Anyone who has ever tried to build new business contacts exclusively via e-mail will recognise the problem: many enquiries go unanswered, others fizzle out after a brief exchange. At a trade fair , things look rather different. One meets face to face, can answer questions directly, develop ideas together and gets a much clearer sense of whether a collaboration might be worthwhile. Of course, not every conversation automatically leads to a partnership. But the Quality of contacts is another matter entirely. That is the key insight we are taking away from Rimini.
A very special first
For Svitlana, the TTG in Rimini was, incidentally, the first trade fair of her life. For me, after more than 20 years of journalistic work and over 30 trade fair visits, it was at least the first tourism fair and, at the same time, the first fair abroad. In that respect, Rimini was a firstfor both of us, albeit under very different circumstances.
Artificial intelligence and new travel trends
Alongside the personal encounters, the TTG also provided interesting insights into the development of the tourism industry. According to the organiser, 46.6 per cent of the buyers surveyed as part of the TTG Monitor plan to use artificial intelligence in future for the personalisation of travel offers. 43.4 per cent see potential applications in direct sales.
At the same time, the industry considers personal contact to remain decisive. Advice, trust and individual support continue to play an important role, particularly when things do not go entirely to plan whilst travelling.
Interesting developments are also emerging in travel behaviour. Experience travel, wellness, luxury offerings and slow travel are continuing to grow in significance. Italia itself topped the list with 21.9 per cent, ranking first among the most sought-after destinations named by the buyers surveyed, followed by European capitals and Japan. For a magazine such as Vivere in Italien, such developments are of particular interest. They demonstrate how diverse Italian tourism has become and how significantly the expectations of international travellers are changing.
Our conclusion after a long day at the fair
By the end of the day we were fairly exhausted, but thoroughly satisfied. The TTG Travel Experience met our expectations and, in several respects, surpassed them. The organisation was excellent, the atmosphere outstanding, and every conversation partner proved genuinely interesting. Above all, we were able to present our magazine in person and make contacts that would, by any other means, have been considerably harder to come by.
For us, the journey from Pozzuoli to Rimini was certainly worth it. Not even the six hours in the car or the long drive home changes that. And, almost as a bonus, travelling through the Abruzzo gave us a fresh glimpse of a part of Italy we are now determined to explore more thoroughly in the future. The next TTG Travel Experience will take place from 13 to 15 October 2027 in Rimini. Will we be there again? On the strength of this year's experience, there is certainly every reason to think so.
Source of trade fair figures and industry trends: TTG Travel Experience / Italian Exhibition Group, official closing report of 16 October 2026.
