Experiential tourism is a growing market: Italy makes no exception and Airbnb well understands that. The Experience Academy Airbnb just launched aims at indirectly developing an experiential tourism offer in Italy by training the people interested in it.
The European Capital of Culture 2019, Matera, certainly offers a great opportunity for training in the tourism sector. The choice made by the U.S. giant is certainly not accidental: in Italy experiential tourism is tempting both domestic and incoming travel markets, resulting in the need to have new operators able to meet this growing demand with a professional offer. So, if even Airbnb understood the potentiality of Italy as experiential tourism offer, this means that developing an experiential tourism network in Italy is a winning investment already.
What is exactly the Matera 2019 – Airbnb Experience Academy
Famous for the “Airbnb experiences” launched in 2016, Airbnb’s training in experiential tourism takes place in Matera this year. Actually, it seems there is no better location to spread this initiative: in fact, it is precisely the iconic “City of Stones” that will host the first school of experiential tourism promoted by Airbnb, the so-called “Matera 2019 – Experience Academy”. Thanks to the Academy, from May 30th to June. 2nd, 25 aspiring entrepreneurs will be directly involved in lectures, workshops and inspirational meetings for cultural purposes, cultivating their talents and putting their skills into the game to enhance new forms of sustainable tourism related to the territory.
Airbnb’s initiative is not just for entrepreneurs: the training is open to all those who want to get involved and have a passion for their territory. From artisans to brewers to photography enthusiasts, everyone can make their skills available and turn them into a resource for themselves and for the development of the territory.
Because this is what it is all about: finding the perfect combination between the enhancement of people and the Italian territory, the fundamental cornerstones of an experiential tourism offer in Italy.
Experiential tourism offers in Italy beyond Airbnb’s Academy
Although Airbnb’s proposal is a strong sign of the potential offered by experiential tourism in Italy, it has the clear secondary purpose of supporting (and indirectly increasing) the sales of “Airbnb Experiences”, inviting new hosts to organize such initiatives but above all to promote them through its well-known platform.
Training in experiential tourism represents a potential and direct enrichment of small local entrepreneurs (or aspiring ones), as well as being an opportunity for personal and professional growth for the locals, far beyond the limits set by the American company.
There are, in fact, other entities able to offer practical, professional and recognized training in Italy, including that promoted by Artès, thanks to which all interested parties can independently manage the creation of experiential tourism products to sell to incoming travel agencies and tour operators like yourself.
Keep reading: A travel agent’s guide to experiential tourism in Italy
The specialized experiential tourism offers by Artès
Whether you want to develop your travel inventory in Italy with highly unique and local experiences for your customers or just want to understand what Italy has to offer from an experiential point of view, you should definitely find a local trusted partner to start with.
If you are looking for a completely unique experiential tourism offer in Italy that combines both aspects, look no further. We at Artès offer quality and ongoing training to our trainees so you can take advantage of the high-quality experiential tourism products we develop for you.
Artès is the first trainer in Italy specializing in experiential tourism and is the partner of BITESP, the Travel Experience Exchange of Incoming and Experiential Tourism.
We help both tour guides and people passionate about their territory to turn their passion into something more with our Masterclass in Operator for Experiential Tourism where we train our operators to develop a very original local experience for your customers. Our network spreads all over Italy and through all kinds of experiences: from food and wine tours in the magic landscape of Friuli to scavenger hunts by bike in Tuscany to follow the steps of old Italian bandits.
Feel free to have a look at our full listing by passion or by destination such as those in:
…And many more!
Contact us for more information about our personalized experiential tourism offer in Italy.