ttgitalia

🏢 Convention Bureau Roma e Lazio has grown by 13 new associates, including AG Group Italy, ICB Allestimenti, Pepe Catering, and ten others confirmed in late January. President Onorio Rebecchini reports the network now encompasses 151 operators, including 130 members and 21 partners. Rome ranks in the top seven worldwide destinations for international events and congresses and is the leading conference destination in Italy according to the International Congress and Convention Association (Icca).

💳 Hospitality businesses are affected by the additional sickness contribution for hotel-associated restaurant, café, and bar employees. The Italian social security institute (Inps) introduced a new worker code "IA" meaning "Intermittent worker in public establishments owing an additional sickness contribution of 0.77%." Confusion arose, prompting Federalberghi and its General Director Alessandro Nucara to seek clarification. Inps clarified that establishments integral to and managed by hotels are exempt from the 0.77% contribution, while independent entities with separate licenses must pay. The exemption also applies to small boarding houses categorized as hospitality businesses, regardless of room numbers.

📂 Israel's Electronic Travel Authorisation (Eta) for visa-exempt countries will become effective on January 1, 2025. Initial Eta enforcement was planned for August 1, 2024, following a pilot period starting June 1, 2024. The pilot, initially for selected countries, was to expand to all visa-exempt nations from July 1, 2024. Due to airline requests for more preparation time for technological system integration, the Israeli Population and Immigration Authority extended the pilot by five months after a comprehensive review.