Conferenze e Fiere

✈ Qanot Sharq Airlines will start a new weekly flight from Milan to Uzbekistan on April 5th, connecting Milan to Urgench and Tashkent to Milan. The service operates an Airbus A321 neo with 12 business class and 190 economy seats, aiming to become the go-to carrier for Uzbekistan links. The growing demand from Italian tourists and travel agencies is noted by Francesco Veneziano, VP Commercial of Distal GSA Italia.

🏆 Arabian Adventures, part of the Emirates group, launches new experiences for the 2024/2025 season, including the Veuve Clicquot Desert Experience and shared city tours in Dubai starting October 2024. "The Fort – Lisaili" is a new multi-functional destination 45 minutes from downtown Dubai. A special offer for the Dubai World Cup includes a 5-night VIP package with private suite access, premium chauffeur service, and a 5-star hotel stay from April 4-9, 2025. Packages for the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix are also upcoming. Sales & Services Manager Anabela Radosevic highlights the range of thematic and sports packages available to promote the UAE as a destination.

🏂 FlixBus and FlySki renewed their partnership to connect Lombardy and Veneto to Trentino's ski resorts starting from December 7 until end of March. Direct trips can be booked via FlixBus to 40 ski destinations including Madonna di Campiglio and Canazei. Departures from Milan Central Station, Milan Linate, Bergamo-Orio al Serio, Venice Marco-Polo, Verona, and Treviso airports. Trips run every weekend, plus December 26 and January 2.

🎵 Msc Crociere partners with Sky Original's XFactor to transform Msc Lirica into ‘La nave di X Factor’ starting from the 2024 season. Msc Lirica will feature the cast of the latest season and host 11 music evenings, starting January 2025, with talent contestants performing weekly at the Broadway theater. Additionally, passengers can buy official XFactor merchandise and participate in pre-castings for XF2025 until May 2025, recording auditions in branded ‘Recording Box’. Best auditions may be selected for live auditions for the next season.

🏖️ More than 200 hoteliers from Rimini attended the 'Rimini Incoming – Progettare il futuro' event in 2025, aimed at sharing promotional campaigns and strategies for boosting tourism. VisitRimini, VisitRomagna, and Apt Servizi highlighted collaborative efforts to grow the hospitality industry starting in 2025. Mayor Jamil Saadegholvad and Federalberghi Rimini President Patrizia Rinaldis emphasized unity in tourism. Antonio Carasso announced a 7% increase in tourism from May to September 2025 compared to 2024, with a 6.2% peak during Pentecost, largely due to the German market, and a significant Polish incoming market.

🏢 On December 4th, 2024, at 16:30, the Public Assembly of Confindustria Alberghi will be held in Rome at CNEL headquarters, Viale David Lubin 2. It represents nearly all national and international hotel chains in Italy, plus thousands of independent operators. The assembly will feature a welcome address by President Brunetta, introductions by the outgoing president, the new elected president, and a round table with industry experts. The Confindustria Alberghi 2024 awards, in its second edition, will conclude the session, with a jury led by Gianni Letta. The initiative honors Italian hotel industry icons Ferruccio Fabri and Roberto Wirth. Prizes will be awarded for best representation of Italian style and innovation in the market. Manuela Perrone of Sole 24 Ore will moderate.

🏢 Italy ranks first in Europe and second worldwide for international conferences held in 2023, projecting the same for 2024. Italian Knowledge Leaders' fourth edition, by Convention Bureau Italia with the support of the Conference of Italian University Rectors, reports these findings. Italy excels in large conferences (over 500 people) with a conversion rate of nearly 40%, second in Europe after Spain (47%), and ahead of France (33%). In 2023, Italy led with 553 conferences, followed by Spain (505) and France (472). For 2024, Italy is also first with a scheduled 540 conferences, outpacing Germany and Spain, each with 459. This sector contributes approximately 20% to national tourism flow, with 81 Italians becoming presidents of international associations in 2024. However, only 10% of conferences and 13% of venues are in southern Italy.

🏠 Trenitalia presents the sixth Intercity train branded with Disney, featuring Vaiana from "Oceania 2," releasing on November 28. Event at Rome Termini's platform 26 with Trenitalia's President Stefano Cuzzilla and The Walt Disney Company Italia's CEO Daniel Frigo. Over 700,000 families, a 5% increase from last year, have chosen Intercity this year for travel, highlighting the partnership's focus on family-friendly initiatives.

❄ Narvik, Norway, brightens the Arctic night and is set to host the Alpine World Ski Championships in 2029. Starting December 23, Norwegian Airlines will offer direct flights every Monday from Milan Bergamo to Narvik. Summer records show 1.1 million international visitors (+9% from 2023) and 2.3 million overnight stays between June and August, with Italy as the top market. New route was influenced by Bødo being the European Capital of Culture, contributing to the tourism spike.

🏨 Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye suggests the decision for the airport's third runway could come by the end of 2025. With post-Covid travel resuming, expansion would improve Heathrow's operational capacity amid traffic management challenges at many airports. Shareholders show strong support, and the UK government seems favorable, pending airline backing.