Conferenze e Fiere

🏢 Italy at Hand, the global meeting industry event, concluded in Turin with its 6th edition featuring 80 buyers from 21 countries and more than 2,448 B2B meetings. Venice Region Convention Bureau Network will host Italy at Hand 2025 in Venice and Veneto. Carlotta Ferrari, President of Convention Bureau Italia, emphasized Italy's strength and innovation in the meeting industry.

🎡 Dolce & Gabbana will hold their high fashion events Alta Moda, Alta Sartoria, and Alta Gioielleria in Rome in early July 2025. Tourism official Alessandro Onorato announced Rome’s unique venues will host the shows, which are part of D&G's Grand Tour d'Italia initiated in 2012. The events aim to celebrate Italian beauty, history, and sartorial tradition. Rome joins previous host cities such as Taormina, Milan, Palermo, Naples, Venice, Alberobello, and Nora.

✈️ Neos launches direct Bari-New York flights starting June 3, 2025, ending October 15. Flights every Tuesday using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with 355 seats. Departure from JFK at 16:00 local time, arriving in Bari on Wednesday at 08:00, returning the same day at 11:30 to land in New York at 13:50. The new route aims to transport approximately 12,700 passengers in its first year, enhancing Neos' network which includes daily offers from New York to Italy.

📍 Sea Prime announced the expansion of its Linate hub at the 2024 Mebaa show in Dubai. CEO Chiara Dorigotti highlighted the project's significance for high-level customer experience, noting Middle Eastern clients comprise about 5% of their traffic. The initiative focuses on comfort and efficiency, aiming to strengthen Sea Prime's leadership in business aviation across Italy and Europe, while also preparing for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. The expansion includes approximately 10,000 sqm of aircraft apron space, which will be followed by terminal improvements.

🚨 Sindacati at Edimburgo Airport announced a strike over Christmas and New Year. Tanker drivers from North Air will strike for 19 days, starting 5 AM on December 18 until 4:59 AM on January 6, 2025. North Air supplies fuel services to national and international airlines at Edinburgh Airport.

✈ 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.