What are the changes that have swept the Italian tourism sector in recent years? The turnover of the tourism industry in 2017 is close to € 70 billion, which is equal to 4.2% of the country's gross domestic product. The arrivals from abroad were 58.7 million and Tuscany appears as the second favorite destination for foreigners, later only in Veneto. The growth of incoming tourism is equal to 7.7% compared to 2016. The flow of cultural tourism is at the top for its 20 million presences and spending that reaches more than 15 and a half billion euros. Beach tourism is in second place with 8.2 million arrivals. Numbers that confirm the importance of the sector in the Italian economy, which has more than 900,000 employees throughout the boot and 105,000 in the Tuscany region.

The trends of global tourism turn towards an increasingly demanding type of tourist, who seeks an authentic experience through channels that are less and less conventional and mediated, at low cost but complete. Tour operators must therefore come to terms with the advantages and disadvantages of sharing economy and digital transformations that run at the speed of light. In recent years, Italian entrepreneurs in the sector have been victims of innovations that have led to greater fiscal, contributory and insurance costs. From the privatization of the guarantee fund, to the new regional law, from the privacy law to the European Directive on packages implemented as a legislative decree by the outgoing government.

The meeting moments between institutions, professionals and political figures are fundamental in order to understand the evolution of the tourism sector and the future perspectives that must be able to combine quality of supply, environmental sustainability and fair competition in the demand market. The objective is to identify the best way to start a cooperation between tourism and politics that is not penalizing for the operators and promotes the creativity, reception and communication of this industry which is fundamental for the Italian economy.