BTM Puglia

Attendees, exhibitors & solutions

Who this event is for

Industry trends

Key trends shaping this market and its wider industry.

Arrival airports

Choose from the following airports, with convenient access to the event and venue.

Hotel tiers

A range of accommodation options near the venue and across key areas.

Local transport

Get around the city with these convenient transport options.

Frequently asked

Glossary

1

B2B buy-sell workshop

A scheduled meeting format used at tourism exchanges such as BTM Italia, where destination sellers (hotels, DMCs, regional boards) sit with buyers (tour operators, agencies, MICE planners) in pre-matched 15-30 minute appointments instead of walk-up stands.

2

Hosted buyer

An invited trade buyer whose travel and accommodation are covered by the organiser in exchange for completing a minimum number of scheduled supplier meetings. Criteria, minimums and deadlines are set by the organiser, not by the venue.

3

DMC (Destination Management Company)

A local ground handler that builds and operates itineraries, transfers, venue bookings and excursions in a destination; at a Mediterranean exchange the DMC is usually the party selling Puglia or wider Italy product to foreign tour operators.

4

DMO / Tourism board

A destination marketing organisation, such as a regional or city tourism board, whose stand represents the whole territory rather than a single hotel or operator.

5

Tour operator vs travel agency

A tour operator assembles and contracts packages (transport, beds, experiences) and takes commercial risk on them; a travel agency resells those packages or books components direct to the end customer.

6

FIT and GIT

FIT (free independent traveller) is a solo or small-party booking sold at published or net rates; GIT (group inclusive tour) is a pre-packaged group departure, typically with a fixed itinerary and a series rate. Buyers at a tourism exchange usually quote one or both.

7

Net rate and rate parity

The net rate is the confidential price a supplier gives a trade buyer before the buyer adds margin; rate parity is the supplier rule that the same room cannot be resold online more cheaply than on other channels. Contract season terms are the core of most B2B meetings.

8

MICE

Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions - the business-travel and events segment that many Mediterranean destinations sell alongside leisure product, often through congress venues and event agencies rather than tour operators.

9

ADR and RevPAR

Average Daily Rate (revenue per occupied room per night) and Revenue Per Available Room (revenue divided by all available rooms). Both are standard hotel performance measures trade buyers use to judge whether a seasonal rate sheet is realistic.

10

Seasonality / shoulder season

The concentration of demand into peak months (for Puglia, roughly May to September) and the shoulder months either side. Late-February events sit in low season, which is why Bari hotel rates during BTM Italia are typically below summer levels.

11

OTA (online travel agency)

A digital booking platform that sells supplier inventory to the public on commission. Suppliers at a trade fair usually distinguish their OTA-distributed product from the net contract rates offered to tour operators and agencies.

12

Bleisure and experiential travel

Bleisure is a business trip extended with leisure days; experiential travel is product built around food, wine, cycling, heritage or crafts rather than standard sightseeing. Both are used by Puglia suppliers to extend the region's season beyond the beach months.

13

Schengen short-stay visa (type C)

The visa that allows a non-visa-exempt traveller to enter the Schengen area, including Italy, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period for business or tourism. It must be issued before departure by the relevant consulate.