Secondary Airports Promoted as Main Destinations: The Cases of Milano Bergamo and Venice Treviso

This study evaluates the effectiveness of secondary airports promoted under the names of major destinations in increasing passenger numbers. Milan Bergamo and Venice Treviso airports in Italy were selected as case studies, with passenger data from 2000 to 2023 obtained from Assaeroporti. To facilitate comparison, two groups of Italian airports were classified based on annual passenger volumes: those exceeding 10 million and those handling between 1 and 5 million passengers. A One-Way ANOVA was conducted to compare monthly passenger growth rates, with normality and variance tests ensuring statistical validity. Where assumptions were violated, nonparametric tests were applied. The findings indicate that secondary airports marketed as main destinations significantly outperform their counterparts in passenger growth, suggesting that branding strategies leveraging well-known city names effectively attract tourist demand. This study highlights the role of low-cost carriers in this trend and suggests that policymakers consider strategic branding to enhance regional tourism and connectivity.