FEBRUARY 24, 2023 –
CUNEO AIRPORT
TORINO WILL HOST CONNECT, THE WORLD CIVIL AVIATION FORUM, IN FEBRUARY 2024
Councilor Poggio: “We will attract more companies and new routes to Piedmont, increasing tourism flows to our region.”
Turin will host from February 7 to 9, 2024 the 20th edition of Connect – Route Development Forum, the b2b meeting dedicated to commercial aviation that brings together representatives of airlines, airports and tourism boards from across Europe with global delegates to define new routes and strategies.
These days in Tangier, a delegation from Piedmont has in fact picked up the baton to bring the forum to Piedmont, where tourism and transportation professionals will carry out B2B meetings and thematic panels.
Thanks to the work of the Atl, tourism consortia and tourism industry players, great attention will be paid to the discovery of Piedmont’s territories through visits and excursions to show the peculiarities of the area to the air carriers’ directors.
“We bring to Piedmont another major event that confirms its vocation as an attractor of world exhibitions and kermesses – stressed the councillor for Culture Tourism and Commerce, Victoria Poggio – The Piedmont airports of Turin and Cuneo will thus have the opportunity to attract new companies and new routes going to increase the overall volume of tourist movements in our region“.
The forum allows the host destination and its stakeholders to make themselves known to an international audience and thus generate significant spin-offs in terms of increased routes.
“The Connect 2024 event will bring six hundred delegates and representatives of international airlines to Piedmont, who for the occasion will be involved in pre- and post-fan trips, experiential activities and visits to the territories to acquaint them with the countless tourist, cultural and food and wine opportunities of the entire region,” stresses Beppe Carlevaris, chairman of the board of Visit Piedmont – In the past, destinations that have hosted this event dedicated to the aviation business have then significantly increased tourist flows to the area. Crucial will be the involvement of the entire regional tourism system to fully exploit the potential of the initiative“.
In Italy, Connect was hosted by the city of Cagliari, in 2018 generating a significant increase in the number of routes, to the extent of 11.3 percent, and passenger traffic growth of 40 percent from 2018 to 2022.
“We are very pleased that Turin and Piedmont are hosting Connect 2024,” stressed Andrea Andorno, CEO of Torino Airport, this is one of the most important events in the aviation industry, which will bring operators from all over Europe to our territory. The entire hospitality industry will have an extraordinary opportunity to surprise Connect2024 delegates by offering visitor experiences that will make us a must-see destination for all airlines and airports“.
“Hosting Connect Aviation is a unique opportunity to make airlines understand the enormous potential that our destination can offer ,” stressed Levaldigi Airport Director Anna Milanese – with the goal of increasing the routes served by our airport as well. Teamwork between airports and territories will be key to demonstrate excellence in Piedmontese hospitality“.
Piedmont is among the fastest-growing regions in Italy and Europe (+3.3 percent in arrivals and +11 percent in foreign arrivals).Connect Route Development Forum is scheduled for Feb. 7-9, 2024, in Turin, and is expected to have a large economic impact on the area, both during the event and in the following years.
