What Startup Turismo does

Startup Turismo (legal name: Associazione Startup Turismo – ETS) is a non-profit association headquartered at ComoNext Science and Technology Park in Lomazzo (Como), Italy, founded in 2013 by tourism entrepreneurs. It operates as a vertical community hub for Italy's travel, hospitality, and culture innovation sector, claiming representation of roughly 80% of the country's travel startups through a membership of 130+ startups, 600+ ecosystem stakeholders, and 20+ public and private partners.

The association's product surface is event-centric rather than software-centric. Core offerings include the Innovation Area at TTG Travel Experience (Italy's flagship tourism trade fair, with 700+ m² of managed exhibition space and 51 startups at the 2023 edition), Travel Investor Day (annual investor-startup matching with mentoring and pitch preparation), Business Coffee Break (recurring virtual and in-person community sessions broadcast via LinkedIn Live), Innovation Startup Tour (a regional matchmaking format piloted in Alassio 2022 and continued in Orgosolo 2025), Call4Sell (member demo sessions), and a Research Center run jointly with Politecnico di Milano's Digital Innovation Observatory. The technology stack is a standard association web platform (startup-turismo.it) providing directory, event registration, and member profiles — no proprietary AI, API, or SaaS products are developed in-house.

Revenue is generated through three streams: annual startup membership fees (€200/year under €500K turnover, €400/year above), annual corporate/operator membership fees (€600/year under €2M turnover, €1,000/year above), and trade fair exhibition services including booth sales at TTG (€950 desk solutions, €1,780-€3,560 stand solutions) and optional €2,000 visibility/sponsorship packages. As an ETS (Ente del Terzo Settore), the association is non-profit and VAT-exempt on membership fees. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, supplemented by direct outreach from a 6-person core team plus a network of Local Delegates across Italy.

Name

Startup Turismo

Legal name

Tourism Startup - ETS (Associazione Startup Turismo)

Website

https://startup-turismo.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Startup Turismo is a non-profit association founded in 2013 that operates Italy's largest vertical community for travel startups, serving 130+ member startups, corporate tourism operators, investors, and public institutions through events like Travel Investor Day, the TTG Innovation Area, and the Innovation Startup Tour.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel startup community and tourism innovation ecosystem

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology & Innovation Expos Organizers (THAHABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK)

Keywords

• Travel startup ecosystem
• Tourism innovation network
• Investor matching events
• Trade fair exhibitions
• Startup community building

Headquarters

HQ city

Lomazzo

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from startup members (€200-400/year based on revenue) and corporate/tourism operator members (€600-1,000/year based on revenue). The association is non-profit (ETS - Ente del Terzo Settore), so fees support institutional activities.
2. Trade Fair Exhibition Services: Organized group participation at major tourism trade fairs (TTG Travel Experience), offering exhibition booths at discounted group rates to member startups. Revenue comes from booth fees (€950-3,560 for various booth sizes) and optional sponsorship packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Associazione Startup Turismo is a non-profit association that operates as a community and ecosystem hub for Italian travel startups, connecting startups with tourism SMEs, corporates, investors, and public administrations. It delivers managed exhibition space at Italy's leading tourism trade fairs (TTG, BIT), runs an annual investor-startup matching event (Travel Investor Day), and offers recurring networking, demo, and research programs for its 130+ member startups.

Product overview

Startup Turismo is a non-profit association serving as Italy's largest travel startup community, representing over 80% of the national ecosystem with 130 member startups and 600 stakeholders. Rather than a unified software platform, the association operates as a network hub offering member services including: Innovation Areas at major trade fairs (TTG, BIT) for exhibition and visibility; Travel Investor Day for investor-startup matching and fundraising facilitation; Business Coffee Break recurring networking sessions; Innovation Startup Tour bringing startups to local communities; Call4Sell exclusive demo sessions; and an annual Research Center survey conducted with Politecnico di Milano. The association facilitates connections between emerging travel tech startups, established tourism businesses, investors, and public institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Innovation Area at Trade Fairs (TTG/BIT) Managed exhibition space at Italy's leading tourism trade fairs (TTG Travel Experience, BIT) where member startups can exhibit at discounted group rates, access the Arena for conferences, and network with industry stakeholders.
• Travel Investor Day Annual investor-startup matching event connecting selected Italian travel tech startups with venture capital firms, featuring pitch preparation and mentoring, followed by a curated investor day.
• Business Coffee Break Recurring virtual and in-person networking sessions for community members, including Founder Moments (internal), Training Tips (external via LinkedIn Live), Startup Open Doors (matchmaking), and Partner & Events formats.
• Innovation Startup Tour Traveling initiative that brings startups into local communities, offering matchmaking between local tourism businesses and compatible startups through a 6-phase methodology to drive territorial innovation, in partnership with Public Administrations, DMOs, DMCs, and Local Action Groups.
• Call4Sell Exclusive member service offering 1-hour demo calls with the operational team for member startups to present their value propositions, unique features, and market opportunities to corporate members and the association's network.
• Research Center Annual survey and research program monitoring Italy's travel startup ecosystem, conducted in collaboration with Politecnico di Milano's Digital Innovation Observatory, covering financial performance, business models, and technology adoption.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of Italian travel startups represented in the ecosystem
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• PwC ItalyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026PwC Italy serves as the Innovation Partner for Travel Investor Day 2026, contributing expertise to the startup investment matching event. Their involvement adds credibility and professional support to the investor readiness program.
• Digital Innovation Observatory - Politecnico di MilanocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The Digital Innovation Observatory of Politecnico di Milano supports the association's annual Research Center survey, providing methodological quality assurance and helping disseminate ecosystem data in a structured and reliable way. This partnership strengthens the credibility of the association's research output.
• Public AdministrationscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Public Administrations support the Innovation Startup Tour by promoting the initiative to local businesses, helping identify innovation needs, and facilitating connections between startups and traditional tourism operators in their territories.
• DMOs and DMCscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDestination Management Organizations and Destination Management Companies partner with the association to drive innovation in their territories through the Innovation Startup Tour and other programs.
• Local Action GroupsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Action Groups support the Innovation Startup Tour by promoting innovation programs to local tourism businesses and facilitating participation in the matching process.
• FoundationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundations promote the Innovation Startup Tour to local businesses and support territorial development initiatives through the association's programs.
• TTG Travel ExperienceflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTTG Travel Experience is Italy's leading tourism trade fair where the association manages the Innovation Area (Area Next Startup). The partnership provides exhibition space, conference facilities, and access to the broader tourism industry. In 2023, the area reached 700+ m² with 51 startups and 25+ conferences.
• SmartCityLab MilanflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerSmartCityLab Milan hosts the Travel Investor Day 2026 final event on May 14, 2026. The venue provides the physical space for investor-startup matching presentations.
• innovupminorGTM or Marketing Partnerinnovup appears as a partner/supporter of Travel Investor Day 2026, contributing to the event ecosystem.
• StartupItaliaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStartupItalia appears as a media/ecosystem partner for Travel Investor Day 2026.
• ComoNext Science and Technology ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe association is based at ComoNext Science and Technology Park in Lomazzo, which provides the physical headquarters and access to the broader innovation ecosystem in the Como area.
• AI Festival 2026 (Bocconi University)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAssociation participated as speaker/panelist in AI Festival 2026 at Bocconi University, Milan, discussing real-world AI solutions for tourism.
• SITE Project (Interreg ITA CRO 2021-27)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAssociation participated in SITE Project hackathon 'Inclusive Tourism for Everyone' in Trieste, promoting innovation in accessible tourism.
• Gateway AI (Turismi.ai)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAssociation participated in Gateway AI event in Bergamo, focused on Artificial Intelligence for Tourism.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Federturismo Confindustria: Italian tourism industry federation within Confindustria, representing established tourism operators and corporates. Comparable as a tourism industry membership body, but represents incumbents rather than the innovation/startup segment.
• ENIT (Italian National Tourist Board): Italy's national tourism agency promoting Italy as a destination and supporting the tourism industry. Comparable ecosystem-builder role but state-backed and destination-marketing focused rather than innovation-focused.
• Astoi Confindustria: Italian association of organized tourism operators (tour operators, travel agencies). Comparable as a tourism trade association in Italy, but focused on traditional tour operators rather than innovation startups.

Emerging players

• Skift: Travel industry media and research company focused on travel innovation, tech, and the future of travel. Comparable in serving as a voice of travel innovation, but a commercial media business rather than a membership association.
• Phocuswright: Travel industry research and events company producing sector intelligence on travel innovation and startups. Comparable in producing tourism-innovation data and convening stakeholders, but commercial/for-profit.

Direct peers

• InnovUp: Italian innovation and startup ecosystem association that promotes entrepreneurship and supports Italian startups through events and advocacy — directly comparable non-profit association structure and ecosystem-building mission.
• Italia Startup: Italian startup association representing the broader national startup ecosystem. Highly comparable as a non-profit membership organization for startups, though Startup Turismo is vertically specialized in travel while Italia Startup spans all sectors.

Others

• TTG Italia (Travel Trade Gazette): Organizer of TTG Travel Experience, Italy's leading tourism trade fair and Startup Turismo's flagship venue partner. Comparable ecosystem participant in Italian tourism trade events; not a direct peer but a critical counterparty.
• World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC): Global travel and tourism industry body representing the private sector of the wider travel industry. Comparable industry-association function at a much larger global scale, but not vertically focused on startups or Italian market.

Regional players

• Fiavet: Italian federation of travel and tourism agencies, a trade association for the Italian travel retail sector. Comparable as a domestic tourism industry body, but it serves traditional travel agencies rather than startups.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/startup_turismo
• Facebookfacebook.com/associazionestartupturismo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/associazione-startup-turismo
• Instagraminstagram.com/associazione_startup_turismo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Startup Turismo