BTL reflects latest trends in tourism

# tags: Events , BTL , Exhibitions

BTL - Better Tourism Lisbon Travel Market is taking place from March 12 to 16 and Event Point wanted to find out what's new.

“The 2025 edition of BTL brings several new features that reflect the latest trends in tourism, with a richer and more diversified offer,” says Dália Palma, director of BTL, who begins by highlighting the launch of BTL Wellness, an area dedicated to well-being.

Portugal has a unique range of hot springs, spas and wellness tourism and “physical and mental wellness has been increasingly sought after and BTL will highlight these options for a growing public that values this type of experience,” she explains.

Another strong point of the tourism fair will continue to be the innovation and start-ups area, which will present “new solutions and proposals that promote innovation and sustainability in the sector”. In addition, BTL will debate “crucial topics such as sustainability, innovation, training and human resources”.

BTL will also feature BTL Emprego, where you can find out about jobs in the tourism sector, and its B2C section. “The fair continues to be the major point of reference for vacation bookings in Portugal, with significant transactions during the event, offering consumers exclusive conditions for planning their trips,” she adds.

Dália Palma also reports on the rebranding of BTL, describing it as “an important milestone”, which allows the consolidation of the brand at national and international level, and its promotion “as a sustainable, inclusive and global brand”.

“Business tourism and events are growing strongly”

Although MICE and the Events industry are “not the main focus of BTL”, the tourism fair “has been paying more and more attention to this segment, with the aim of increasing its representation in the coming years”.

According to Dália Palma, “business tourism and events are growing strongly, and Portugal, and Lisbon in particular, has been increasingly sought after for large international congresses and events”.

As such, BTL “reflects this growing need with an expanded exhibition”, with the presence of more and more companies and solutions for the MICE segment and for events. “The fair serves as an ideal platform to facilitate the 'match' between event organizers and the destination of Portugal, creating an environment conducive to the creation of strategic partnerships,” he adds.

“Clear focus on the digital transformation of tourism”

For Dália Palma, BTL differs from other international fairs “first and foremost because of its reason for existing: the promotion of the national destination”. It is at the tourism fair in Lisbon “that the source markets find the largest, most diversified and qualified offer of the Portuguese destination, something unique when compared to any international fair, even if the participation of Portuguese companies is high”.

She also points out that BTL combines “a strong presence of national and international players with a highly qualified program of hosted buyers”. With a focus on innovation and networking, the fair ensures that participants find “concrete opportunities to expand their business” and offers professionals in the sector “a showcase of products and services” and “a space for developing lasting partnerships and exploring new solutions”.

As technology is a major driver in the sector, BTL has a “clear focus on the digital transformation of tourism”. “Technology will be in the spotlight, from advanced artificial intelligence solutions that promise to revolutionize the traveller's experience, to new digital tools that will improve the management and promotion of destinations,” says Dália Palma.

Conferences and forums will debate “how technology can tackle the sector's most pressing challenges”, major technology brands and platforms will present the latest innovations, and tourism professionals will be able to learn about “emerging technological trends” and explore “new tools and solutions” for creating “smarter and more sustainable experiences for tourists”.

Networking is “one of the great attractions of BTL”

The tourism industry today faces “significant challenges, such as sustainability, digitalization, the shortage of skilled labour and growing global competition”. And BTL aims to respond to these issues “by creating an environment that facilitates the development of solutions to each of these challenges”.

And the specialized content, debates with experts, innovations, conferences and workshops, among other initiatives, allow BTL to help professionals “stay up to date and prepared for the future”, as well as promoting “dialogue and the exchange of ideas” and offering “concrete opportunities to tackle the talent shortage and drive digital transformation in the sector”.

In addition, and given the presence of national and international players, BTL not only “strengthens networking”, but also “allows participants to discover new approaches to sustainability and global competitiveness”.

Networking is “one of the great attractions of BTL”, which has been “continuously investing in its initiatives to facilitate connections between participants, both in the B2B and B2C segments”. For B2B, it has “programs such as Hosted Buyers, which facilitates meetings with source markets from all over the world” and offers exhibitors “the opportunity to promote their offers (tourism product) with qualified buyers”.

For the B2C segment, BTL offers “an immersive experience, with a dynamic program on the various themed stages, addressing trends, emerging destinations and differentiating experiences”.

BTL promotes networking initiatives in a professional environment, but also a social program, which was designed “to extend business and networking opportunities in a more informal way”: lunches in the BTL Village, where “participants can enjoy moments of relaxation and interaction”; the BTL Lounge, a space “dedicated to networking”; and the BTL Party by Azores, “where more than 600 professionals can socialize and create business ties”.

With these initiatives, BTL creates “an attractive and interactive environment, in line with the demands of the sector and providing participants with a complete experience to do business, exchange ideas and expand their network of contacts, both professionally and socially,” she says.

And challenged to leave a key message for tourism professionals, Dália Palma says that “BTL is the ideal platform for doing business, exploring innovations and building strategic partnerships that will drive the future of tourism”.