Genoa “Best in Travel Forum 2025” technical tables on the tourism of the future 

GENOA, ITALY – The evocative Palazzo Ducale celebrated Genoa’s “Best in Travel Forum”, the event highlighted the tourism scenarios of the near future. The engaging initiative was created to celebrate the entry of the “Superb” city into the 2025 edition of Best in Travel 2025, a Lonely Planet guide that, translated into six languages, suggests destinations to visit in the year. “With this publication, which is an independent editorial initiative,” explained Angelo Pittro, director of Lonely Planet Italy, “we want to suggest destinations to our travelers that are not in the spotlight, but new and of great interest.” 

The President of the Regional Council of Liguria Stefano Balleari brought greetings from the Liguria Region, underlining the city’s need to complete a transition “from heavy industry to thinking industry”, also thanks to tourism. 

The four technical tables alternated with authorities and experts in the sector who debated strategic issues in the tourism sector.  

Sustainability in transport, sustainable tourism, outdoor and sports tourism, experiential tourism, cultural tourism, food and wine were the themes, with the aim of creating a dialogue between opinion leaders, investors, policy makers and operators.

Alessandra Bianchi, the Councilor for Tourism and Sport of the Municipality of Genoa said “We are implementing our tourist destination portal “Visitgenova” with the inclusion of artificial intelligence (AI) adding, We are ready for the challenge of being a Best in Travel among Italian destination It will be a unique opportunity to continue promoting our historical-artistic-cultural heritage together with the excellence of food and wine and the beauty of the landscape and nature. 

We are implementing our tourist destination portal Visitgenova with the inclusion of AI and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed, with the Chamber of Commerce and the Metropolitan City, for the creation of the of Genoa’s DMO” (Destination Management Organization)”. 

Another macro-theme discussed was the cultural and territorial identity of Genoa and its sharing with the visitor.

Luigi Attanasio, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Genoa, highlighted that “A great team spirit is being put into play to create a system and promote Genoa. Among the initiatives we are focusing on Genova Gourmet, which makes chefs not only ambassadors of good cuisine but also of the quality of local products that they are committed to using in their kitchens and around the world, in the various institutional missions promoted by the Liguria Region and the Chamber of Commerce. “Because the Genoese have always been citizens of the world”. 

If gastronomic products are a strong attraction – among them the Pesto di Pra’, (an excellence that was a partner of the event) – sports and outdoor tourism is increasingly assuming a central role, on which the Municipalities have worked hard, offering bike and trekking itineraries in uncontaminated nature on the outskirts of the city. But it also attracts major events, of the caliber of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 and the Red Bull Cerro Abajo, the legendary urban downhill race, the most spectacular and extreme in the world. Migrated from South America to the alleys in the shadow of the Lanterna,( the Genova sea-port lighthouse symbol of the city) thanks to the breathtaking evolutions of the best riders in the world, Red Bull Cerro Abajo was the highlight of Genoa European Capital of Sport in 2024. 

The city is also paying great attention to the environmental impact of future tourism, which must necessarily be in line with the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this regard, Mauro Ferrando, President of the Tourism, Culture and Communication Section of Confindustria Genova and Councilor of the Convention Bureau, emphasized how important events such as Euroflora, (the International Exhibition of Flowers and Ornamental Plants) will look at reducing consumption.  

In the 85,000 square meters in various sites of the city, ecological products and irrigation from desalination for the plants will be used and, at the end of the event, the smallest plants will be donated to various places and institutions in Genoa. A paradise of many shades of green and colors, which attract at least 850,000 visitors.

Innovation and sustainable practices 

The focus on good practices will be transversal to all the major events in the city, underlined Andrea Razeto, President of I Saloni Nautici: “The Italian recreational boating industry is increasingly attentive to sustainability and the environment, even though recreational boats represent less than 0.01% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Confindustria Nautica ( Nautical Industry Association) is committed to supporting companies in the sector in the ecological transition, promoting innovation and the implementation of sustainable practices“. 

Regarding transportation, it was focused on the new City Airport Cristoforo Colombo, to strengthen the role of Genoa as an international tourism hub whose duty free, services and departure hall are supported by innovative technological systems and greater environmental sustainability thanks to new technologies for lighting and air conditioning. And the “people mover walkway”, a bridge with a moving walkway that will connect the airport to the new railway station, that will be inaugurated in 2026. 

The Genova Best in Travel 2025 Event – The Rolli Experience, as always, the protagonist 

During the Forum, the centrality of experiential and cultural tourism in Genoa was also underlined. Starting from the charm of the historic shops in the caruggi, ( alleys) which Genoa managed to preserve and which offer the timeless of “andar per botteghe” (shopping attraction) In fact, since 2011, thanks to the Superintendence, the Municipality, and the Chamber of Commerce, the shops included in the Register constituted an itinerary of strong tourist attraction. Of great interest, the Rolli Experience is the initiative that Genoa dedicates to the Palazzi dei Rolli, splendid noble historical residences.  

Thanks to their extraordinary function as a “scattered hotel”, in the second half of the sixteenth century they gave life to a very peculiar system of public hospitality. “Rolli Experience is the offshoot of a larger project to enhance these UNESCO World Heritage Sites”, said Giacomo Montanari, professor of History of Art at the University of Genova, “because it is important to make cultural tourism proposals rich in content, so that the people to whom they are dedicated are aware of the value of the experience they are living. This must be the contribution of scientific research in the tourism field: a guide in creating centers of attraction for visitors to the city that have a certified cultural value.“

The Rolli Days, today, with various formulas and in some periods, allow to put visitors in the shoes of the guest of the ancient Republic, immersing them in the charm of history and the beauty of staying in these unique places of the city. 

The article Genoa “Best in Travel Forum 2025” technical tables on the tourism of the future  first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.