Filippo Curinga is the president of I.D.I Travel, a DMC specialized in Italy. Always traveling to discover and try everything new, interesting and essential that can contribute to an unforgettable journey in the country, he has created a portfolio of extraordinary, authentic and consistently high-level experiences throughout the Country. With the same mission, he organizes Meet the World, an event that connects highly selected tourism operators (especially hotels) with equally selected travel agents. The venue for the appointment is Venice, where the third edition will take place from December 8 to 11, 2025. Here he tells us about the genesis of the project and its evolution, which includes several new features.
What is the idea behind Meet the World?
It all began with my awareness of the fundamental role that a DMC (Destination Management Company) plays in the high-end tourism sector. A DMC knows the territory in depth, selects its best experiences, and reveals its authenticity. From this came the idea to create an event that would highlight the crucial role of the DMC as a bridge between supply and demand, particularly for destinations like Italy and France, two countries with extraordinary cultural, artistic, and culinary wealth. Meet the World was therefore born with the aim of enhancing and promoting these territories through targeted marketing strategies, qualified meetings, and an authentic narrative of the destinations, so that hoteliers, industry experts, and travel agents can create real connections and develop new business opportunities. In an increasingly interconnected world, but often dominated by impersonal dynamics, we wanted to offer an opportunity to encourage direct exchanges and new strategic collaborations, in a beautiful and stimulating context like Venice, which with its history and charm perfectly embodies the spirit of the event.
Who are the protagonists and interlocutors?
First of all, the sellers, meaning those who represent and give voice to a territory, its excellences, and the structures that make it unique. These include prestigious hotels, family-run hotels, and local operators who contribute to creating a high-level tourism product. Each seller is not just a service provider, but a true ambassador of the territory, capable of transmitting values, authenticity, and uniqueness through hospitality and the experiences offered.
The main interlocutors of this event are the travel agent partners, those high-end tourism professionals constantly seeking tailored, authentic, and exclusive experiences for their most demanding clients. Today, more than ever, personalization is fundamental; high-end travelers want to connect with the true essence of a destination. For this reason, Meet the World becomes a unique opportunity to give value to human relationships and mutual trust.
A central role is also played by the IDI Travel team, which is not just an intermediary but a strategic partner capable of guaranteeing highly qualified local support. Our presence in the territory allows us to manage every logistical aspect with maximum efficiency and professionalism, ensuring impeccable service to travel agents and their clients.
What do they find different from other luxury travel events?
Meet the World distinguishes itself from other industry events for several reasons, offering a more targeted, selective, and qualitative experience, both for property representatives and travel advisors.
For property representatives, the event represents a unique opportunity to connect with highly qualified travel advisors who are genuinely interested in promoting luxury and tailored experiences. Meet the World is an event meticulously curated, where each travel agent is selected directly by IDI Travel’s dedicated team. This ensures targeted and productive meetings with professionals who share the same philosophy of quality and excellence.
On the other hand, for travel agents, the big difference lies in the rigorous selection of participating properties. All hotels and partners are chosen with special attention to quality, exclusivity, and the ability to offer impeccable services. Travel agents know that every property proposed by IDI Travel is synonymous with excellence, character, and authenticity.
These events are very demanding. It’s increasingly difficult to choose which ones to attend. Another distinctive element of Meet the World is its accessibility in terms of costs while maintaining a very high level in terms of quality, selection, and organisation; the event is designed to allow hoteliers and travel advisors to obtain a concrete return on investments. This approach makes Meet the World not only an exclusive event but also a concrete and advantageous opportunity to create valuable relationships and develop business strategically.
At the moment, MTW is held in Venice: what is the relationship with the city?
The relationship with Venice is intense and deeply significant. Venice is not just the city hosting the event but embodies its spirit: exclusivity, history, charm, and an unparalleled atmosphere. The choice of this destination is not coincidental: Venice is a symbol of high-level hospitality, artisanal excellence, and the ability to attract sophisticated travellers from around the world. However, we would like to see greater collaboration with local institutions, so that events of this scale can have an even more significant impact on the territory, contributing to the promotion of quality and sustainable tourism.
Venice is often at the center of debates on managing tourist flows and the need to preserve its uniqueness. Meet the World fits perfectly into this vision, promoting tourism that is not mass tourism, but attentive to culture, heritage, and the local economy.
Are there experiences planned in the territory?
Absolutely yes! Meet the World is not just a static event, but an immersive experience that extends beyond the official days, involving both Venice and other destinations in Italy through pre and post-event programs.
The idea is to discover the less touristy side of Venice, through private visits, meetings with artisans, tastings, and networking moments in unique contexts.
Furthermore for our more valuable partners, carefully selected by my staff, we organize pre and post tours, in order to improve their knowledge of Italian tourism. The puropose of these fam trips is to let travel advisors experience what they will later offer to their clients, and to strengthen the connection between industry operators and the territory, offering a concrete opportunity for in-depth learning and training.
Does the format include projects to encourage good tourism practices? Which ones?
Yes, Meet the World is conceived with a strong commitment to quality and sustainable tourism, and its format includes targeted projects to promote good tourism practices. The objective is twofold: on one hand, to raise awareness among travel advisors and industry operators about the importance of diversifying destinations and travel periods; on the other, to support a more balanced and conscious tourism model that contributes to enhancing the territory without overloading it.
One of the main tools through which Meet the World encourages more sustainable tourism is the promotion of alternative locations compared to the most visited destinations. Italy and France offer an extraordinary variety of places still little known to international tourism, but rich in charm, history, and authenticity. Giving visibility to these less explored destinations means better distributing tourist flows, decongesting the most crowded destinations, and offering more authentic and quality experiences to high-level travellers.
Another fundamental pillar of our approach is the promotion of the low season. Often luxury tourism concentrates in high season periods, creating pressure on destinations and limiting access to more exclusive and personalised experiences. Encouraging travel in less crowded months means not only guaranteeing a superior quality of stay but also supporting the local economy in less profitable times of the year for accommodation facilities and industry operators.