Tourism, resurgent manufacturing fuel Milan economy

By Chaoyang Creative Works
Staff report

Milan tourism and business activity surged in September and early October as packed crowds at the Milan Expo continue to surprise critics and one of the world’s biggest industrial machinery fairs drew to close on Oct. 10.

The city hit an all-time visitor record in September with 910,990 arrivals, fueled largely by the expo, trade shows and fashion week.

At the Expo: Milan set an all-time visitor record in September.

At the sprawling, modernistic Rho Fiera convention center, some 1,600 exhibitors across a total of 120,000 sq m of floor space displayed the latest in automation, robotics and traditional machinery at EMO Milan 2015. Top exhibiting countries were Italy, Germany and Taiwan. Japanese and Korean machinery giants also showed their latest designs in car manufacturing equipment, robots and computerized production.

In the five months since the opening of the Milan Expo in May, some 3.8 million tourists have visited Milan, 54 percent of them from foreign countries. Americans led the way, comprising 12.9 percent of foreign arrivals in the period, followed by the French at 9.8 percent, Chinese with 7.7 of the total and UK residents with at 6.5 percent, according to the news agency ANSA.

Cutting edge: The latest in automation and robotics.

Milan’s Councilor for Business Franco D'Alfonso told ANSA that “the Expo isn't a bubble”.

“It has laid the foundation for long-term growth," he said.

Jon Van Housen, founder of Chaoyang Creative Works, said he has “certainly seen the manifestations of a growing economy” in Milan after visiting the Expo and the just-concluded EMO trade fair.

“I just finished up working eight years as a business editor in China, so I am used to seeing large crowds, big economic numbers and people keen to do business,” he said. “The Expo and the EMO machinery convention appear as vibrant as some of the large events in China.

“With a weaker euro and renewed determination, many Italian producers I talked to at the EMO fair said they think the country is finally pulling out of the economic doldrums. Export and overall GDP numbers support that optimism.”

He noted that with China facing deep restructuring challenges, northern Italy is well-positioned to bring more of its quality products to the world market at a competitive price.

Founded in Milan in June, Chaoyang Creative Works provides a business bridge between Italy, the U.S. and China through international website content, social media and business-to-business contacts.

For further information contact Jon at:
jon (at) chaoyangworkscom
www.chaoyangworks.com