Redazione

🏖 LOOP, the high-end tourism trade fair for the DACH market, will host LOOP MICE Spring (March 12-15) and LOOP Leisure Spring (March 15-19) in Puglia, Italy, at the renowned Borgo Egnazia. The event connects influential travel agencies and tour operators from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria with international luxury hotels and tourist brands. Astrid Oberhummer, Managing Director of Lobster Experience, highlights the commitment of Italian luxury brands to evolve and offer an exclusive platform for elite travel designers. The fair enables Italian brands to align with the luxury travelers' needs for authenticity and sustainability, vital for competitiveness in the evolving market. By 2025, Millennials and Gen Z will make up 45% of the luxury market, as per Bain & Company, emphasizing the need for brands to adapt and form strategic, long-term partnerships to boost bookings and revenue.

🏦 Marriott International signed 290 new agreements for about 34,000 rooms and added over 180 properties to its EMEA portfolio in 2024, entering new markets in Luxembourg, Angola, and Senegal. The company's EMEA pipeline grew to 596 properties, totaling 104,731 rooms (a 10% increase from the previous year), with conversions accounting for 45% of the annual signings. Key development activity was noted in Denmark, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UK. In the luxury segment, 26 deals were signed, expanding the luxury project pipeline to over 80 hotels and resorts. Marriott's midscale EMEA brand, Four Points Flex by Sheraton, finalized 34 agreements in Europe. The premium segment with Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, and Marriott Hotels saw 50 combined agreements, while the selected service segment led by Courtyard by Marriott, Four Points by Sheraton, and Moxy Hotels signed 39. The residential segment recorded 11 projects, increasing the EMEA residential portfolio to 72 locations. Notable openings included Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Saudi Arabia, W Prague, The St. Regis in Serbia and Oman, and The Luxury Collection properties in Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Fairfield by Marriott Copenhagen Nordhavn marked the brand's first European property. Moxy Hotels celebrated ten years in Europe and debuted in Spain and Luxembourg, while Protea Hotel Lu

📖 At the 20th edition of Identità Golose in Milan (February 22-24), hospitality took a central role, discussing the symbiosis between high-level accommodation and gastronomy. Panelists like Cinzia Primatesta Cannavacciuolo and Donato Ascani emphasized how fine dining enhances hotel reputation and finances. The conference also covered design's role in multifunctional hotels and sustainability in practices like energy efficiency and biodiversity preservation. Prominent industry figures shared insights on creating memorable experiences and positioning hotels as destinations.