Backed by the Ministry of Tourism and organised by ENIT, Italy’s pavilion covers more than 2,000 square metres and brings together 23 regional and local partners. A new layout, four immersive sensory rooms, leading Italian chefs and more than 10 presentations combine to turn the Country’s story into an experience – and an invitation to travel.
London, 4 November 2026 – Combining the diversity of its regions with new approaches to destination marketing, Italy is presenting a redesigned national pavilion at World Travel Market London, which opened on 3 November at ExCeL London and runs until 5 November 2026. Backed by the Ministry of Tourism and organised by ENIT S.p.A.- Italian National Tourism Boad, the Italian National Tourist Board, the pavilion covers more than 2,000 square metres and hosts institutions, destinations and tourism businesses under a single brand, ITALIA. The aim is to present the country to the international travel trade in a way that engages the senses, sparks emotion and inspires people to travel.
The idea of an embrace runs through the design of stands N2-240, N3-200 and N3-500. Rounded shapes and suspended circular installations create an open, welcoming space that reflects Italy’s tradition of hospitality. Along the route, scenic archways inspired by Italy’s frescoed ceilings encourage visitors to look up, bringing the sense of wonder that comes with discovering the Country to the show floor. The pavilion also features four immersive sensory rooms dedicated to the sea, the mountains, Italy’s art cities and the Italian lifestyle. Each combines 3D installations, large-scale images and textured sets with soundscapes and scents to capture the atmosphere of the destinations, giving visitors a first, multisensory taste of Italy.
Food plays a central role in Italian hospitality. Daily live cooking shows by leading chefs offer a foretaste of Italian Cuisine Week in the World, bringing to ExCeL the skills and traditions of a food culture recognised by UNESCO, which has added Italian cuisine to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Taking part are Enrico Derflingher, President of Euro-Toques Italia and former chef to the British Royal Family; Gianni Tarabini, whose cooking is rooted in the land, rural traditions and sustainability; and Vincenzo Guarino, who blends tradition with modern techniques and champions local, seasonal produce. Their three different styles highlight the close links between food culture, landscape and local identity.
The pavilion brings together 15 regions and provinces from across Italy: Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardy, Marche, Piedmont, Sicily, South Tyrol, Trentino, Tuscany and Umbria. They are joined by the Como-Lecco Chamber of Commerce, the City of Milan, the City of Genoa, the Republic of San Marino, the City of Rome, Turin Alps, Turismo Torino e Provincia and Visit Brescia. Together they offer world-famous attractions alongside lesser-known places waiting to be discovered, reflecting the many faces of a Country that gives visitors new reasons to fall in love with it each time they visit.
At the heart of the pavilion is Piazza Italia, topped by two rings symbolising an embrace. A space for meetings and discussion, it is hosting a programme of more than 10 presentations on Italian destinations and new tourism products.
The programme began on 3 November with the traditional ribbon-cutting, followed by the press conference “Reinventing Beauty: A New Era of Travel, Inspired by Italy”. Speakers included Fabio Cassese, Italian Ambassador to the UK; Gianluca Caramanna MP, Adviser to the Minister of Tourism for Institutional Relations; and Tourism Minister Gianmarco Mazzi, who joined via video link. The session was moderated by Ivana Jelinic, CEO of ENIT S.p.A. The conference also addressed the central theme of WTM 2026: regenerative tourism and so-called “flourishing destinations” – places where tourism improves the wellbeing of local communities, protects the environment and supports local culture. Italy is particularly well suited to this approach, with a heritage that lives not only in its monuments but also in the everyday lives of its people. Rituals, traditions, festivals, oral storytelling, age-old crafts and food culture keep the memory of places alive and shape how they evolve. Making the most of this heritage strengthens the identity of destinations and makes meeting local people a core part of the travel experience.
“Italy has come to World Travel Market London with the strength of its unity and the richness of its diversity. The Italy Pavilion designed by ENIT – covering over 2,000 square metres and bringing together 23 partners under the ITALIA brand – is more than a stand: it is an experience, an invitation to travel and the story of a welcoming, authentic and innovative Country. We have come here not just to promote destinations, but to champion a model,” said Tourism Minister Gianmarco Mazzi. “Italy’s answer to regenerative tourism and flourishing destinations is a heritage spread across the whole Country – one that lives on in its monuments, its people, its rituals, its age-old crafts and its UNESCO-recognised food culture. This is what is winning over the British market: in 2025, 7.1 million travellers from the UK generated 34.9 million overnight stays and €5.3 billion in spending, up 7.6%. Art cities are the top choice, accounting for 2.9 million travellers and €2.1 billion in spending. This is the Italy that turns visitors into ambassadors for its beauty, creating value for local areas, wellbeing for communities and excitement before they even set off.”
“World Travel Market (WTM) is one of the most important international events in the tourism industry and a strategic opportunity to promote Italy’s entire range of destinations, including lesser-known places and small villages. We are targeting not only the British market but all international markets, given the global reach of the event, which is among the biggest in the world. Italy has brought all its regions to WTM in a coordinated, unified promotional effort that highlights the richness and variety of Italian tourism under one great brand: Italia,” said Gianluca Caramanna MP, Adviser to the Minister of Tourism for Institutional Relations. “Our strength is borne out by the results of recent years: by working together and joining forces, we have broken every record and achieved strategic goals that the government also shares and supports, such as spreading visitor flows more widely and increasing the average length of stay. This confirms the importance of integrated promotion aimed at ever more balanced and sustainable growth in Italian tourism.”
“The UK is one of the most important markets for Italian tourism – the third largest by spending – and the bond between British travellers and Italy grows stronger every year: they come back, stay longer and look for authentic experiences, even out of season,” said Fabio Cassese, Italian Ambassador to the UK. “One of the most promising areas, and a key focus for us, is sports diplomacy and major events, starting with the America’s Cup, which will be held in Naples next year and which we will promote through a dedicated programme.”
“Every journey begins before departure, when an image, a story or a feeling draws us to a place. Our job is to make the most of that moment: to showcase destinations through what makes them unique and bring them to life for people who have yet to discover them,” said Ivana Jelinic, CEO of ENIT S.p.A. “I am proud of this Italy Pavilion, which embraces the Country from north to south and brings many of its different sides together under one brand, ITALIA. Innovation allows us to tell Italy’s story in new ways, while immersive experiences connect visitors with places, their atmosphere and their stories. Beauty creates emotion, and emotion drives the desire to travel. That connection guides every decision we make: offering people a first encounter with Italy that turns into a trip. That is what our work is all about, and why we are here.”
For more info about Regions’ news and events, please visit https://www.enit.it/en/enit-at-wtm-2026