Tourism, artificial intelligence also plays a role in destination selection. The topic will be discussed in Florence.

Bto-Be Travel Onlife 2025, the seventeenth edition of the tourism event, opens its doors today and runs until November 12th at the Stazione Leopolda in Florence.

The chosen theme is "Cross-Travel" , a need to cross different languages ​​and worlds , building hybrid and interconnected experiences in which technology does not replace man, but amplifies his intelligence, empathy and creativity, explain the organizers.

Guests included Rishad Tobaccowala (author and digital strategy consultant), Jacques Bulchand-Gidumal (University of Las Palmas), Guido Martinetti (founder of Grom and Le Marne Relais), Alexander Kjerulf (Woohoo Inc.), Sandro Formica (Humanistic Management), Richard Skinner and Paloma Zapata (Sustainable Travel International), along with experts and managers from Booking.com, Expedia, Trip.com, Ipsos, Trip.com Group, Visit Malta, Franciacorta and Slow Food, to name a few.

The 2025 edition is structured around the four usual themes : Destination, Digital Strategy, Hospitality, Food & Wine, looking at AI and new skills, sustainable transition and decarbonization, accessibility and digital inclusion, data governance and collective intelligence, community tourism and urban regeneration, humanistic hospitality and happiness at work, new models of wine tourism and the storytelling of taste. According to the UN Tourism Barometer (September 2025), international arrivals in Europe exceeded 340 million in the first half of the year, up 4% from 2024 and 7% from 2019. It's not just about quantity: resilient destinations are emerging, capable of managing the digital and climate transition, creating shared value, and attracting talent, the report notes.

BTO 2025 kicks off at Leopolda, Florence (RaiNews.it)

11/11/2025

Artificial intelligence is now permeating every stage of travel—inspiration, planning, booking, storytelling— transforming tourism into a laboratory for the hybrid economy , where technology and human capital meet to build trust and sustainable development. In the current context, marked by climate crisis and urban and social transformations , destinations are no longer just travel frames but infrastructures: places of governance, innovation, and community, according to a statement.

The program curated by Emma Taveri will focus on environmental sustainability , post-industrial regeneration, social cohesion, and responsible communication, with an approach that combines concrete cases and systemic visions. The "Route to Sustainability" panel will offer a practical discussion between DMOs, local authorities, and international networks to translate ESG principles into concrete tools: credible certifications, integrated territorial plans, ESG monitoring systems, and tax incentives for regenerative tourism businesses, with the contribution of the European Ecotrans network.

Among others, the panels "Storytellers for What?" and "Travel with Care" will explore the work of Visit Faroe Islands and The Great American West, campaigns that place communities at the center of the narrative, including immersive podcasts, audio maps, and ethical storytelling. BTO also addresses the topic of sport as an economic and inclusive lever with Milano Cortina 2026 and Robert Simmelkjaer, CEO of the NYC Marathon. According to Grand View Research (2023), sports tourism will reach $2.137 billion by 2030, and 81% of sports travelers also visit areas adjacent to the main event (Expedia Group, 2024).

BTO 2025 Florence (RaiNews.it)