Italian gelato: India, Korea and Vietnam are the new frontiers

Jan 27, 20212 min read

Globalization is increasingly amplifying the leadership of artisan Italian gelato. The supply chain includes producers of ingredients and semi-finished products, machine manufacturers and, finally, the cold dessert prepared and served by master gelato makers.

Made in Italy gelato is the world leader, as it is estimated to generate a turnover of 16 billion euros with over 100 thousand parlours scattered everywhere. The business is growing by around 5% per year, well beyond the dynamics of Italian GDP.

THE HOMELAND OF ARTISAN GELATO

Italy is the undisputed home of artisan gelato and is also the largest consumer in the world, with 19 thousand companies (adding production and sales) that employ around 75 thousand people. These numbers double (just under 40 thousand activities and 150 thousand employees) considering all the Italian points of sale.

Italy is where 18% of global business is concentrated (about 3 billion euros at the end of 2018) compared to 9.5 billion euros in turnover in Europe (60% of the world total).

EXPORT MARKETS FOR ITALIAN GELATO

Spain, Poland, Japan, Argentina, Australia, and the United States are, in order, the meccas of Italian gelato. But markets like India, Korea, Vietnam and Eastern Europe are attracting most new investments. Meanwhile, the penetration of gastronomic artisan gelato in starred restaurants is growing as well.

These numbers and trends will soon have their moment of synthesis in Rimini at Sigep 2020 (18 to 22 January), the international exhibition of gelato, pastry, artisan bakery and coffee, where 1250 foreign companies and brands from over 30 countries are expected to go. Right there, from this year, the Vision Plaza will also make its debut. A place and think tank, it will animate the fair to promote innovation in the sweet foodservice sector. A kind of innovation concerning not only tastes and ingredients, but also and above all technologies.