THE CASTELLANA CAVES ON DISPLAY AT BIT MILANESE
The karst site has attracted the interest of 25 countries and 55 professional operators in the tourism sector.
Castellana Grotte, April 5, 2017 – Record numbers for the Castellana Caves at BIT, the International Tourism Exchange, held April 2-4 in Milan. From Russia to Venezuela, passing through the Philippines, Japan, Thailand, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates, the Castellana Caves reached a total of 25 countries, with which they are about to establish interesting trade relations that will bring new and increased tourist flows to the karst site, the "Wonder of Puglia."
Representing the Caves at Italy's first tourism fair were Domi Ciliberti, President of the Castellana Caves, accompanied by Vice President Vincenzo Montaruli, Councilor Anna Maria Dalena, and Artistic Director Pino Savino.
The Caves enjoyed great visibility at their stand, shared with the UNESCO site of the Trulli of Alberobello, in the main corridor of Pavilion 4, directly opposite the space occupied by the Puglia Region. The international tourism industry showed great interest in Puglia and its beauty, starting with the Castellana Caves.
President Domi Ciliberti is very satisfied: "The BIT has confirmed its role as an important promotional platform for the Caves, both for the karst site itself and for related events such as Speleo and Hell in the Cave. We've had numerous international contacts and discovered new markets interested in a more authentic Italy, far from traditional tourist destinations, and particularly fascinated by Puglia, and especially the Itria Valley. In this context, the Castellana Caves are a highly attractive destination, even for countries that are relatively unfamiliar with karst phenomena and therefore view us with great curiosity. In short, there's a market waiting to be discovered, and we're turning to it to continue growing."
Thanks to 70 “be-to-be” meetings, over the three days of the fair, the Grotte met with 55 professionals, including tour operators, buyers, travel agencies, and workers' clubs, 11 international media outlets, and 4 bloggers.
Tour operators were distributed personalized pen drives containing digital materials about the Caves, the town of Castellana, and Alberobello. The Caves took the opportunity to promote not only the karst site but also the Speleonight and Speleofamily experiences and the "Hell in the Cave" show. The latter has proven to be a highly attractive event for international tourism. This was also the first official promotional outing for another Castellana Caves project: the Caverna della Grave as a wedding venue. The "Wedding Venue" was presented to the international market, attracting interest, especially from Eastern European couples.
On the sidelines of the Milan trade fair, the Castellana Caves participated in the "Welcome to Puglia" event, which brought together leading representatives of the national press at the Hotel Baglioni. The Apulian karst site was presented as a national landmark, garnering numerous press reports, some of which recently aired on Mediaset networks.
Press Office Grotte di Castellana Srl
Serena Greco cell. +39 348 7649373
Rossana Paolillo cell. +39 328 1787297
Social Media Marketing Consultant
Marica Buquicchio cell. +39 334 7649177
www.grottedicastellana.it
