New Frontiers in Tourism at BTO: From AI to Sustainability

The future of travel takes center stage in Florence next week, as the 17th edition of BTO – Be Travel Onlife returns to Stazione Leopolda on November 11–12. The two-day event brings together 350 national and international speakers and more than 90 sessions dedicated to innovation and new frontiers in tourism.

Promoted by the Tuscany Region and the Florence Chamber of Commerce, and organized by Toscana Promozione Turistica, PromoFirenze and Fondazione Sistema Toscana, BTO has become Italy’s leading event for travel professionals exploring the intersection of technology, culture, and hospitality.

The 2025 edition is built around the theme “Cross-Travel,” an invitation to overcome boundaries and create hybrid experiences where technology enhances—without replacing—human intelligence, empathy, and creativity.

The program focuses on four main tracks—Destination, Digital Strategy, Hospitality, and Food & Wine—addressing key challenges reshaping the industry: artificial intelligence and new skills, sustainability and climate change, digital inclusion and data governance, community-based tourism and urban regeneration, storytelling in gastronomy, and protection of Made in Italy heritage.

Among the highlights is “Smart Florence,” a panel exploring how technology can help cities tackle overtourism. Organizers describe Florence as a case of “unbalanced tourism,” with visitor flows heavily concentrated in certain areas and times of the year—a trend mirrored nationwide, where 70% of foreign visitors focus on just 1% of Italy’s territory.

Other sessions will explore the role of historic markets in cities like Florence, Barcelona, and Kyoto, and the impact of major sporting events ahead of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The program also includes “Cavaller-IA Rusticana,” a live performance merging artificial and human intelligence, and a lighter panel celebrating 50 years of the cult film Amici miei.

The event will also host the Italy Ambassador Awards, honoring Italian and international content creators who promote the country’s culture, food, and destinations, with a special focus this year on accessibility in travel.

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