BIT Milan Expo Visitors Get a Taste of Halkidiki

The HTO stand at the 2023 BIT Milan Expo. Photo source: HTO.

The Halkidiki Tourist Organization (HTO) offered a “feast for the senses” to the visitors that attended the BIT Milan Expo 2023 and transported theme to the sun-drenched shores of the popular northern Greek holiday destination.

This year’s BIT Milan Expo, considered Italy’s most historic international tourism exhibition, attracted the interest of some 70,000 visitors, 2,000 exhibitors, and 500 buyers, with the Halkidiki stand being a point of interest for many.

Over the three-day event, visitors to the stand were keen on learning more about Halkidiki’s culinary experiences, as well as its cultural points of interest and nature-related activities.

Additionally, at the expo’s specially designed exhibition space HTO executives held pre-arranged meetings with international hosted buyers and representatives from airline companies and tour operators specializing in thematic tourism forms.

The Tuscany – Halkidiki culinary event. Photo source: HTO.

F&B made in Halkidiki. Photo source: HTO.

Overall, the Italian market’s feedback proved positive for Halkidiki, a fact that was also confirmed with the addition of a new direct flight by Aegean Airlines connecting Venice with Thessaloniki (twice a week, from June 13);  flights still running by Aegean from Milan and Rome; and Ryanair flights continuing to connect Thessaloniki with destinations such as Milan – Bergamo, Venice, Rome, Naples and Bologna.

The highlight of HTO’s participation at the BIT Milan Expo 2023 was a culinary event hosted at the Tuscan Pavilion, featuring traditional recipes from Tuscany and Halkidiki.

Held as part of a press conference announcing a collaboration between Tuscany and Halkidiki/Central Macedonia, the event was also attended by Greek and Italian diplomats, regional officials and tourism stakeholders.

The event focused on female chefs and food producers sampling both regions’ local products and was organized in collaboration with the GIST (Gruppo Italiano Stampa Turistica) association, Italian journalist Clara Svanera, and RAI Radio & TV.

The culinary twinning is scheduled to continue in Halkidiki next spring with the visit of representatives from the Tuscany Tourism Organization and Italian journalists who will cover the event, and a corresponding visit of representatives of the HTO in Tuscany during the summer 2023 period.

In addition, the organization has already planned visits by Rai 1 and GIST journalists, and travel bloggers to promote the destination’s alternative and culinary tourism options.