Conferenze e Fiere

🎭 Universal Orlando Studios will open the Epic Universe theme park on May 22 next year, with tickets on sale from October 22. The park will feature five themed worlds, including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic and Super Nintendo World. Accommodations at the Universal Helios Grand Hotel can be booked starting May 22 as well.

🚲 Italy, hailed as the top global cycling tourism destination, was spotlighted at TTG Travel Experience. EuroVelo, now coordinated by Fiab-Italian Environment and Bicycle Foundation, aims to develop a 20,000 km cycle route network. The sector anticipates an 88% revenue growth in the coming months. Rimini will host the 2026 Velo-city summit, with over 1,500 delegates from 60+ countries.

✈️ ITA Airways has started selling tickets for the Rome-Bangkok route, set to begin on November 16. In the winter season of 2024/2025, this flight will operate with five weekly frequencies from Rome Fiumicino and Bangkok. Frequencies will reduce to three weekly flights for the summer season starting on March 30, 2025.

🚢 VIVA Cruises launches VIVA Boutique, debuting with VIVA Beyond in May 2026 on the Seine. The brand promises premium all-inclusive 'boutique cruises' along Europe's major waterways, combining the comforts of a boutique hotel with the diversity of river cruising, as per CEO Andrea Kruse.

🏖️ Umbria hosts Mirabilia 2024, with President Donatella Tesei endorsing the event as an 'extraordinary invention'. Tesei emphasizes the importance of Italy's beauty, high-level communication for tourism, and centrality of UNESCO sites promotion. Infrastructure improvements are deemed crucial for accessing 'minor' but extraordinary tourism experiences. Umbria supports accommodation operators to enhance service quality and create a tourism ecosystem to encourage revisits. Tesei advocates for requalifying tourism roles, valuing education, and engaging youth as the industry's future.

📰 Gdsm Global gsa launched Global2share, a platform for travel agencies to get customized content for sharing. Selma Lakhial, cruise & multiproduct supervisor, announced the free service as part of their website's restyling, providing a simple way for agents to access new content, events, and promotions weekly. Agencies can add their logo and receive personalized communication in multiple formats.

📍 The World Travel and Tourism Council's global summit will be hosted in Rome in 2025. This follows up the second International Tourism Forum and the first-ever G7 dedicated to the sector. Italian Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanchè, remarked on the summit's conclusion in Perth (October 8-10, 2024) and emphasized the event's importance for both Italian and international tourism industries. For more details, visit www.ministero.gov.it.

🏖️ Máté Terjék, Head of Tourism Development Italy for Visit Hungary, reports positive tourism growth for Italy in the first eight months, ranking Italy third in arrivals and overnights in Budapest: 289,000 visitors, approximately 751,000 overnights, averaging 2.6 days per stay. Compared to the same period in 2023, Italian tourists increased by +27%, and overnights by +23%. Nationally, Italy ranks seventh. Terjék's strategy aims to extend average stays to over 4 days by December 2025, focusing on developing 'Budapest and its surroundings' and reinforcing regions like Balaton and Tokaj for year-round tourism.

🏨 Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort closed its 2024 season and will reopen in spring 2025. General Manager Alessio Lazazzera expressed satisfaction with the season starting in April, highlighting international guest visits and prominent events hosted, including the Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica. The hotel stands out in architecture, art, film, and gastronomy.

🌊 Gnv sales for Summer 2025 open on October 14. In Sardinia, Gnv will operate four ships with two daily departures on Genoa-Olbia and Genoa-Torres routes, and daily departures between Civitavecchia-Olbia. In Sicily, Gnv offers daily links from Palermo to Genoa and Naples, Civitavecchia-Palermo, Civitavecchia-Termini Imerese, and Naples-Termini Imerese. Gnv also operates six lines to/from Italy in Spain, the Balearics, Morocco, France, Tunisia, and a daily Bari-Durazzo line to Albania.