Innovazione

🍨 Maestra gelatiere Katia Cavallo from Grottaglie (Taranto) showcases Puglian artisanal ice cream at the Italian Song Festival in Sanremo, with Aig Puglia at Villa Nobel. Special flavors like "Gelato di Mandorla," "Dal Salento al Gargano," and "Dolce Sanremo" represent regional tastes. Cavallo, a finalist in the Coppa Italia di Gelateria and the only female knight of ice cream in Puglia, offers these flavors at her shop, Gelatika, during the festival week. Her signature "Tarentum" flavor was served as dessert at a Sanremo dinner.

💸 AI-generated intelligence has made significant strides in recent years, centralizing its role in the tourism industry. AI agents now automate and optimize the entire booking process, potentially incentivizing direct booking and reducing reliance on intermediaries. However, they may reinforce OTA dominance by favoring large platform information over official hotel websites, potentially widening the gap between large chains and independent establishments. For an inclusive revolution, new systems must ensure fair access to the opportunities offered by AI. Operator by OpenAI exemplifies the evolving booking experience, with plans to manage the whole booking process, from search to transaction. Italian hoteliers face the challenge of optimizing digital strategies for competitiveness, considering channel management, offer optimization, and personalized experience. Despite potential, AI in tourism faces challenges like operational autonomy, system fragmentation, and reservation process rigidity. Only two years after ChatGPT's launch, the industry has seen a revolution in travel search and booking, with the advent of AGI potentially bringing even more profound changes.

🍺 Bonduelle Food Service presents two new product lines at Beer & Food Attraction 2025: "Gusti dal mondo," featuring five references of frozen vegetables, and a line of Legumes and Cereals in Doypack® format. "Gusti dal mondo" offers exotic, international flavors for non-ethnic restaurants, with dishes like Contorno Marrakech, Contorno India, Contorno Tex-Mex, Wok China, and Wok Indonesia. The Doypack® line includes 800g packages of Chickpeas, Red Beans, Toasted Buckwheat, Bulgur & Quinoa Mix, and Red Wheat & Quinoa Mix. Both lines emphasize quick preparation, reduced waste, and no artificial additives. Recipes are available for download to inspire chefs with new, refined dishes.

🍝 At Pitti Taste 2025, Pastificio 28 Pastai unveiled two new pasta varieties, Vesuvio and Amalfitane, honoring Campania's richness with Zero Pesticides, glyphosate-free Italian grains. Elena Elefante proudly expands their range, aiming at high-quality pasta for fine dining and discerning consumers. Vesuvio is designed for rich sauces like Neapolitan ragù, while Amalfitane is perfect for classics like Bolognese. The artisanal pastificio from Gragnano offers 33 pasta shapes, including whole spelt options, celebrating tradition and innovation.

📞 Snom, a leader in IP telephony, caters to hospitality with a wide range of terminals for various settings, from luxury hotels to small inns, including features like guest security, robustness, and ease of use. Snom's IP series include the wired Snom HDxx and cordless DECT Snom HM, offering antibacterial surfaces, speed dialing, hands-free, mute function, and call holding; also, customization options like hotel logo display are available. Snom's portfolio also includes versatile analog phones for facilities preferring existing infrastructure.

🔌 CISA introduces a contactless card system for hotel access and energy management, including electronic eSIGNO locks and Wall Readers for secure, simplified room and facility access, compatible with RFID cards and mobile credentials. The Energy Saver device, activated by the guest card, manages lighting and electronics, cutting power 50 seconds after the card is removed to save energy. This integrated ecosystem enhances guest experience, security, and sustainability, minimizing energy waste and operational complexity.

✈ Wizz Air enhances passenger experience with the introduction of the Airbus Airspace cabin, featuring advanced lighting systems, redesigned bathrooms, and spacious overhead luggage compartments. Michael Delehant of Wizz Air emphasizes the airline's commitment to superior comfort and accessibility, including braille signage throughout the cabin for visually impaired passengers. This move makes Wizz Air the first European low-cost carrier to adopt Airspace Standard Overhead Stowage Compartments.

🏠 The Savoy hotel in Bibione launched a Cognitive Stimulation and Brain Training program for the 2025 season, designed to prevent cognitive disorders and maintain optimal brain performance. The project, led by neurologist Professor Sebastiano D’Anna and psychologist Giulia Galli, involves a specialized team and aims to enhance memory, critical judgment, and mood, among other cognitive functions. Pre and post evaluations are used to provide a personalized learning experience.

🏗 Since 2014, over 250,000 travelers have chosen 'surprise trips' by Waynabox, which recorded €9.5 million in revenue in 2024, a 27% increase over the previous year. Bookings rose to 24,000, a 50% increase from 2023. In Italy since 2022, 21% of the global market and about 24% of Waynabox's travelers are Italian. Customers are mainly around 30 years old, 60% women, with over 80% opting for couple experiences. Key offerings include the 'Europe Package' starting at €125 from Milan and the 'Surprise Island' and 'Road Trips' launched post-pandemic. The company aims to expand in European markets like France, Germany, and the Netherlands and develop the gift box sector further.

📍 Club Elite of Bluvacanze launched a new initiative at Sharm El Sheikh's Sunrise Diamond Beach Resort, offering a 15-day training immersion for four agency groups. Claudio Busca, Bluvacanze's retail director, highlights the importance of training, visibility, and profitability, mentioning a €400,000+ in-house IT platform for business intelligence. The program aims to expand from 107 to 150 elite agencies by the end of 2025 to set an industry standard and ensure economic health by 2030. A series of informational and qualification events will start from March across all Bluvacanze divisions.