Conferenze e Fiere

🏢 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.

🏖️ Capri, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Courmayeur, Madonna di Campiglio, and Porto Cervo, identified in 2014 by Fondazione Altagamma as Italy's most iconic places, have formed the Territori di Eccellenza association. The agreement was signed yesterday with a 10-month plan to establish an entity uniting these high-quality tourism destinations to enhance Italy's global image and pursue promotional activities for upscale tourism development nationally and internationally.

📊 Justin Erbacci of ACI World highlighted 2024 as a pivotal year, with global passenger numbers reaching 9.5 billion, despite two global conflicts, production issues, and rising ticket prices. ACI Europe hosted the event at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Airport. By 2042, passenger numbers are expected to double from 2019 to 18.5 billion and reach 23.2 billion by 2052. In 2023, airport charges rose by 30%, and taxes by 15.5% compared to 2019.

✈ British Airways will debut new first-class cabins in 2026 for its A380 fleet, the only European airline offering first class on flights between London and the U.S. Features include wider, longer seats, 32-inch TV screens, dining with friends, and personal luggage space. Calum Lamming, Chief Customer Officer, emphasizes the new first class aims to redefine comfort, luxury, and modernity with a focus on customer preferences and expectations, complemented by world-class service and perks like First Wing entry, lounge access, including the Concorde Room, and priority boarding.

🏖️ True Sicily, an event in Sicily planned for spring 2025, will showcase the island's hospitality to 50 international buyers, featuring experiences in Palermo and Agrigento, including a preview visit to the Valle dei Templi and the Arab-Norman architecture of Palermo, local wine and cannoli tastings, and local crafts like coral, ceramics, and traditional puppets. Essence of Sicily, a DMC founded in 2003 by Peppe Mendola and Viviana Buscemi, is the exclusive partner, known for personalized stays and exclusive experiences. True Sicily operates under the True event format, now in its second edition in Sicily, which has been successful in promoting Italian destinations like Puglia and the Dolomites through immersive B2B experiences.

🎄 Cinecittà World's Christmas event features over 220 luminous installations up to 8 meters tall along a 1-km walking path, themed around Chinese culture. Visitors can explore the Dragon Palace and the 30-meter-long legendary dragon in Oriental World. Stefano Cigarini, the CEO, highlighted this immersive experience with a dedicated street food area, enhancing the park's existing worlds exclusively for the holiday season.

🎄 DB-ÖBB trains offer five daily connections to Trento, Bolzano, Munich, and Innsbruck without changes, transiting through Verona. Departures from Venice at 13:13 or 15:35, and from Bologna at 7:45, 11:52, and 15:50. Trento's Christmas market runs from November 22 to January 6 in Piazza Fiera and Piazza Mostra. Bolzano's market, located in Piazza Walther, starts on November 28 and lasts until January 6. Innsbruck's market is open daily from 11:00 to 21:00 until December 23. Munich's Marienplatz market, dating back to the 14th century, runs from November 25 to December 24.