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🏖️ Italian Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè concluded her mission to Saudi Arabia which began on January 27 with the inauguration of the Italian Village in Jeddah, marking the Amerigo Vespucci sailboat's first visit to Saudi Arabia in its 93-year history. In Riyadh, she met with Saudi counterpart Ahmed Al Khateeb, and in Jeddah, she participated in events focusing on inclusion and promoting Italian tourism, including the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics 2026. In 2023, over 200,000 Saudi travelers visited Italy, with 78% for personal reasons and 22% for business. The initiative aims to enhance diplomatic relations and attract more Saudi tourists to Italy.

🌡 By 2030, the over 60s will reach 1.4 billion, 22% of the world's population, marking a 40% increase in a decade. Their purchasing power is expected to hit $15 trillion. Senior tourism is projected to generate $520 billion by 2030, growing at a 7% annual rate since 2020. Cruise lines anticipate accommodating 30 million senior passengers by 2030, necessitating expanded services and tailored experiences to meet the demands of this demographic.

📈 In 2024, travel demand surged by 10.4% compared to the previous year, with international traffic up 13.6% and domestic traffic increasing by 5.7%. Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), rose by 8.7%, with an 83.5% overall load factor, setting a new annual record. Despite this growth, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) accounted for less than 0.5% of fuel needs, highlighting the challenge of reducing costs and increasing supply to meet the airline industry's goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Looking ahead, travel demand in 2025 is projected to grow at a moderated pace of 8%.