Upcoming Trade Shows in Italy for Food & Drink

Italy’s food and drinks industry celebrated a triumphant 2022 with record-breaking exports that reached EUR 28.5 billion. This marks a +21% surge from the previous year, which surpassed stalwarts like Germany and France in the European Union and cemented Italy as the dominant food market. Simultaneously, the Italian food industry achieves an unprecedented turnover of EUR 60 billion, witnessing a robust 14.7% increase compared to 2021. Unfortunately, the desirability of ‘Made in Italy’ products has led to a massive counterfeiting crisis, which has affected over 66% of agri-food products, which have fallen prey to counterfeiting as revealed by the Ministry of the Interior in July 2023. Italy’s cuisine, which is an integral part of its cultural identity, play a pivotal role in shaping its tourism sector - 22.3% of Italian tourists and 29.9% of foreigners are drawn by the allure of typical Italian products and agri-food, according to the Italian Food and Wine Tourism Association’s 2023 report. The discerning nature of these tourists is evident in their meticulous pre-travel research with 23.8% exploring information about restaurants in advance and 28.3% engaging in on-the-spot restaurant research and reservations. While European Travel Commission data crowns Italy among the top 3 favorite destinations for European tourists in 2023, it also positions the country as the global leader in food and wine tourism. In 2022, 67% of Italian tourists enjoyed at least 5 culinary experiences with Sicily, Emilia-Romagna, and Campania emerging as hotspots. The figure marks a 25% increase from 2021. Valerio Mancini, an industry expert, notes a pivotal factor in this rise in popularity – the influence of social media. The constant exchange of travel recommendations from influencers on platforms like Instagram is boosting visibility. Chefs, attuned to this visual trend, have turned their skills to presentation by resurrecting traditional dishes with a gourmet twist that’s perfect photos.