Main topics

Market and demand

Being able to single out tourist needs, within the overall evolution of consumption patterns and consumer behaviour, is the first step to understanding market trends and opportunities.

We help business organizations and destinations to interpret these trends.

In particular:

• We create customized tools for operators (market analyses, demand segmentation, market observatories)·
• We provide continuously updated market forecasts (short-term analyses on the expectations of tourism operators; the TRIP model on tourism flows to and from Italy)
• We support organizations that provide statistical data (Eurostat, UNWTO, ISTAT) to build a homogeneous body of information that can be used to direct policies and decision-making Tourism Observatories.

The Veneto Regional Government and the Provinces of Treviso and Siena appointed Ciset to develop and manage a Tourism Observatory able to provide local operators with up-to-date and precise information on tourism trends in their regions. 

Market analysis and lines of action. On behalf of various public and private organizations, including the Mexican Tourism Board, the Veneto Regional government and Parma Exhibition Centre, Ciset has produced a set of guidelines for developing promotional and marketing strategies in national and international markets, starting from an analysis of holiday behaviour of actual and potential visitors. 

Support to international and national statistics organisations. On behalf of Eurostat and in co-operation with other partners, Ciset has developed a Methodological manual on the design and implementation of surveys on inbound tourism.

Destinations, networks and mobility

By combining our professional know-how with an umbrella approach, we advise and guide public and private operators on the best strategies and actions to take, by:

• Identifying the key competitive factors of a destination and its potential for future development
• Monitoring performance to track and evaluate change
• Analysing physical accessibility (transport) and virtual accessibility (Internet)

Devising plans for tourism development and strategic marketing. Acting as consultant for many Italian regions, like Valle d’Aosta, Sardinia, Apulia and Calabria, Ciset has developed their marketing plans by studying the situation in terms of supply and the market, defining the types of interventions to be carried out for the product or the destination as a whole, and suggesting actions for Web marketing and for brand communication and management Ciset has also assisted the European Parliament in defining a coherent approach to tourism policies and policy-making and has worked with local authorities to draw up a set of strategic guidelines for tourism development, starting with a study of destination competitiveness together with an analysis of its individual products (seaside, culture, etc.).

Economic impact and sustainability

We investigate and analyse the economic importance of tourism and are at the forefront of the current debate on sustainability in the tourism industry and on responsible tourism.

Thanks to our nationally and internationally-acknowledged expertise, the Ministry of the Economy of Slovenia and the Belgian Ministry for Economic Affairs, the Presidency Government of the Canary Islands, the Veneto Regional government, the Milan Chamber of Commerce and numerous other institutions have called on Ciset to evaluate the consumption behaviour of tourists at local level and to measure the impact of tourist expenditure in terms of added value. 

As member of the Steering Group of Agenda 21 on behalf of the European Commission, Ciset has contributed to the identification of a set of environmental performance indicators. Within the EU project EARTH, the Centre has also developed a methodology to help tourism SMEs (in particular, tour operators) to assess the reporting systems for measuring CSR available on the market, according to their specific characteristics and requirements.

Culture and tourism

We develop different instruments to give added value to the cultural resources of a destination or an area.

Thanks to our two decades of experience in defining strategies for sustainable development in historic centres and cultural sites, and drawing on our extensive knowledge of cultural tourism trends, we can offer:

• Specialised knowledge of the market for cultural tourism, appropriate for shaping destination management strategies for art cities, scenic destinations etc. 
• Tools to assess investment potential in cultural resources (historical, archeological, museums, etc.) with regard to their pull factors in different tourist target market segments.
• Plans for the promotion and development of museums, parks, archeological sites, etc. 

eTourism

As pioneers in the field, we have been studying the effects of IT innovation on the market and on the tourism industry as a whole since the 1990s, providing:

• In-depth studies of web and social media users and support to Web content integration and optimisation
• Analyses of the use of technology in tourism enterprises and its impact on business models.
• Guidelines on building integrated information platforms for destinations.

Business development

We support tourism enterprises in improving and reshaping their organisational and management strategies, by:

• Developing innovation strategies and tools to help them keeping pace with technology and tourism market evolution.
• Assessing business performance and identifying strategic variables for successful management and profitability.
• Providing guidelines for succession management and generational transfer.