Where strategy, culture and destination excellence converge.
On January 21, Manhattan became the international stage for the second edition of PWD – Puglia Wedding Destination 2026, hosted at the prestigious headquarters of The New York Times. The event brought together 30 selected North American buyers and 45 Puglian operators, generating more than 200 B2B meetings and reaffirming Puglia’s role as one of Italy’s most attractive and dynamic wedding destinations.
The buyers in attendance came from New York, Florida, Washington DC, Boston and Canada, reflecting a strategically diverse and highly qualified audience representing some of the most influential wedding and events markets in North America. Set within the iconic skyscraper designed by Renzo Piano, the workshop showcased the excellence of Puglia’s wedding supply chain and its ability to meet the expectations of a sophisticated, high-spending international market. The initiative was promoted by the Region of Puglia and Pugliapromozione, in collaboration with The New York Times, under the patronage of ENIT SpA, with the participation of Aeroporti di Puglia and Confindustria Puglia – Tourism Section.
The working day opened with institutional greetings from Marta Mammana, Deputy Consul of Italy in New York; Caterina Orlando, Director of ENIT USA & Mexico; Rosa Maria Conte, Vice President of Aeroporti di Puglia; and John Oros, Head of Industry at The New York Times, a lineup that reflected the strategic importance of the event on both a diplomatic and economic level. “Puglia is a region that never ceases to amaze,” said Marta Mammana. “As a native of Puglia, I cannot help but feel proud of the organisation behind PWD 2026 and of these entrepreneurs who have travelled from my homeland to meet U.S. operators specialising in weddings and events. Our Consulate is actively promoting initiatives that connect The New York Times with the Italian community, which in recent years has seen a remarkable influx of Puglian companies, particularly in food & wine and the excellence of local craftsmanship.”
A key contribution to the success of the initiative came from Diana Da Ros, International Wedding & Event Planner, who curated the selection of American buyers, ensuring a highly qualified and strategically aligned audience for Puglia’s positioning in the global wedding market. PWD 2026 involved 22 leading Puglian wedding companies, together with the two sector associations Puglia Wedding Planners and Puglia Wedding Production, offering a comprehensive and integrated vision of the region’s expertise, from luxury hospitality and iconic venues to bespoke event design and high-end services.
The event was further elevated by the presence of distinguished VIP guests from the international wedding and events industry, including Michael Cerbelli, Ceci Johnson, Carmelo Spina, Stefania Tranchino, and Myrdith Leon-McCormack, Editor-in-Chief of World Bride Magazine, whose participation reinforced the initiative’s international relevance.
“Being hosted for the second consecutive year at The New York Times headquarters confirms the strength of a path launched in 2018 together with Pugliapromozione,” stated Graziamaria Starace, Regional Councillor for Tourism, Promotion and International Cooperation. “Puglia responds to a sophisticated demand oriented toward authenticity, experiential tourism, and a concept of luxury defined by the quality of time, space and relationships. Wedding tourism is now a mature product, widespread across all provinces, capable of generating economic value, qualified employment and a better balance of seasonality.”
Starace also highlighted the importance of accessibility: “Direct air connections between Bari and New York strengthen this strategic framework. Accessibility becomes a key infrastructure; it reduces distances, consolidates relations with North America and positions Puglia among the few regions in Southern Italy able to engage directly with one of the world’s major global hubs.” This vision was echoed by Rosa Maria Conte, Vice President of Aeroporti di Puglia: “Since its launch in 2025, the direct Bari–New York route has reached 10,000 passengers, a clear sign of shared vision and teamwork. The fundamental role played by the Region of Puglia, particularly the Department of Tourism, has driven the destination’s international positioning.”
Caterina Orlando, Director of ENIT USA & Mexico, emphasised Puglia’s appeal in the U.S. market: “For the second consecutive year, ENIT is partnering with the Region of Puglia in an event that sold out and recorded outstanding participation.” According to John Oros, Head of Industry at The New York Times, “hosting our commercial partner Pugliapromozione for this day dedicated to weddings is an honour for us.”
From institutional vision to experiential depth: Puglia Destination OFF in New York
The momentum generated on January 21 continued the following day with Puglia Destination OFF, held on January 22 at TwoFortyThirty Manhattan. Conceived as a complementary, experiential chapter to the institutional showcase at The New York Times, the event offered international buyers, press, and industry leaders a deeper immersion into Puglia’s cultural, gastronomic, and lifestyle identity. Through its partnership with Cerbelli Creative, led by Michael Cerbelli and supported by Robert Severini, the project by Alessandro Stefanio with Metodo engaged New York on its own terms, speaking the language of high-level American hospitality without compromising identity. Puglia did not adapt itself to the city; it met it as an equal.
At the heart of the experience stood Tenuta Pinto of Mola di Bari, serving as the event’s anchoring presence. As the official Food and Beverage Partner, the eighteenth-century agricultural estate translated authenticity into tangible experience, reminding a highly literate market that Italian luxury begins in the land itself. Under the guidance of Giuseppe Pedone, Executive Chef of Tenuta Pinto and Ambassador of Italian Cuisine Worldwide, alongside Pasquale Martinelli, cuisine became a tool of credibility rather than performance. Tenuta Pinto did more than host; it validated Puglia’s claim to authenticity.
What ultimately gave the New York edition its depth was balance. Each participant expressed a distinct facet of Apulian identity, forming a coherent territorial narrative. Nothing competed. Everything aligned. While Puglia Wedding Destination 2026 articulated the strategic framework and economic relevance of wedding tourism, Puglia Destination OFF translated that vision into lived experience. Hospitality, cuisine, design, and sense of place converged to present Puglia not as a collection of individual venues, but as a coherent and mature destination ecosystem, capable of speaking to one of the most demanding luxury markets in the world without compromising authenticity.
This dual presence in New York proved particularly effective. Luxury markets do not respond to isolated initiatives, but to continuity and coherence. By combining institutional credibility with experiential storytelling across two consecutive days, Puglia confirmed its ability to operate across multiple levels of influence, strategic, emotional, and cultural, strengthening its positioning in North America as a destination defined by meaning, quality, and depth. Tourism data confirm this momentum. In 2025, the United States ranked as Puglia’s third-largest foreign market, with over 234,000 arrivals and 607,000 overnight stays, marking a growth of more than +400% over the past decade.
“The United States is a strategic market for us,” said Luca Scandale, Commissioner of Pugliapromozione. “For the second consecutive year, Puglia Wedding Destination has been hosted in New York, strengthening the brand in North America.” PWD-Puglia Wedding Destination 2026 in New York ultimately confirmed Puglia’s ability to present itself as a cohesive, competitive and forward-looking destination, capable of engaging global markets while redefining luxury through experience, meaning and place.
Photo Credit: Antony Pepe Photography
Article edited by Massimo Basile
Editor & Founder