Conferenze e Fiere

🏖️ "Made in Italy" is the theme of the third edition of 'Roots-in', the International Exchange of Roots Tourism, held in Matera on November 18 and 19. The event, organized by Apt Basilicata under the direction of Antonio Nicoletti, aims to highlight the role of Italians abroad as ambassadors of Italian culture and skills. It will attract about 80 new international buyers, 150-200 Italian operators, and features participants from 13 Italian regions, 30 workshops with 60 notable speakers, as well as 12 foreign journalists and influencers to widen the event's international scope. The project promotes Italian internal areas in national tourism, with roots travelers preferring longer stays of 7-14 days in less touristy locations.

✈️ Wizz Air announces 44 new routes for the winter season, including new services to Salerno and a return to Chisinau, Moldova. The airline will operate over 600 routes, offering more than 28 million seats, with Italy featuring 205 routes across 35 countries. Wizz Air has expanded its subscription options with All You Can Fly, WIZZ MultiPass, and Wizz Discount Club Premium, also integrating Apple Pay, Google Pay, and accepting Revolut card payments onboard. Sasha Vislaus, the corporate communication manager, highlights this as their largest winter season.

✈ Direct flights between Italy and Libya are set to resume in January 2025 by Ita Airways, as announced by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during the Italia-Libia Business Forum in Tripoli. The reactivation follows an agreement signed last year between Enac's President Pierluigi Di Palma and Libya's Mohamed Shlebikf, leading to a Memorandum of Understanding between Enac and the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority.

🏖 71% of Italians plan to travel for Christmas holidays, with 38% staying away for up to 3 days, 25% for 3-5 days, 21% for a week, and 14% for 8-15 days. Family vacations are preferred by 46%, while 29% travel as couples, 18% with friends, and 7% alone. Top domestic destinations are Milan, Naples, and Rome, followed by Catania, and Torino. Paris leads in European destinations, followed by Vienna and London. For extra-European travels, New York, Sharm El Sheikh, and Istanbul top the list.

🍴 Golosaria 2024, a celebration of Italian culinary excellence, will take place from November 2-4, 2024, at Fiera Milano Rho's pavilion 5. The event features over 300 producers across 17,000 square meters, with a program boasting more than 50 events. Lombardy, Calabria, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Liguria, and Sicily will be regions in focus, with special attention on Olympian mountain agri-food riches and the "Calabria Straordinaria" space. The event will also host a showcooking by Chef Davide Oldani and the MIXO area for mixology trends. Golosaria emphasizes sustainability with a decade-long partnership with Comieco and an anti-waste project "Rimpiattino." Awards will be presented to the "100 producers of Golosario 2025," "Top Hundred 2024," and the best shops in Italy's gastronomy. The fair will be a panettone showcase, with 18 producers presenting 42 variations.

🥃 Baijiu, a legendary Chinese distilled spirit, has a history over 5,000 years, dating back to the Xia dynasty (2070-1600 BC). Fermentation of sorghum and other grains marked the beginning of alcoholic drink production in China. During the subsequent Shang dynasty (1600-1046 BC), fermentation became established, with bronze tools aiding in preparation and storage. The Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) saw sophisticated distillation techniques due to cultural and trade exchanges with Persia and India, leading to the creation of purer and stronger spirits. Baijiu gained popularity and its production turned into a meticulous art during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties. Key baijiu varieties include Jiangxiang from Sichuan, Qingxiang from Shanxi, Nongxiang from Anhui and Hunan, and Laobaigan from Hebei. Baijiu represents conviviality and community in Chinese culture and has recently caught the attention of Western mixologists for its versatility in cocktails. Francesca Gentile, owner of Funi 1898 in Montecatini, Italy, is among the first to incorporate baijiu into cocktails in Italy. Baijiu is expected to gain further prominence in mixology with a dedicated category at the WCC2024.

🎃 Match Tonic Water, an Italian brand distributed by Compagnia dei Caraibi, celebrates Halloween with two iconic drinks: Spade and Spicy Paloma. The featured beverage, Match Spicy Tonic Water, offers a 'never ordinary' taste with chili, pepper, turmeric, ginger, and smoked cherry wood notes. Spicy Paloma is made with 35 ml Yuu Baal Joven, 15 ml lime juice, 15 ml agave syrup, topped with Match Spicy Tonic Water in a Highball glass. Spade combines 25 ml cranberry juice, 15 ml grapefruit juice, 10 ml agave syrup, topped with Match Spicy Tonic Water in a tumbler. Compagnia dei Caraibi, founded in 2008 in Vidracco (TO), imports and exclusively distributes Match Tonic Water in Italy.

🏕 Msc Cruises to debut in Alaska in 2026 with the Msc Poesia offering seven-night voyages from Seattle starting May 11, 2026. The ship will transition to Miami for the winter after the summer season. Itineraries include stops at Ketchikan, Icy Strait Hoonah, Tracy Arm, Juneau, and Victoria with excursions and land activities. CEO Gianni Onorato highlights the expansion of Msc's global offerings.

📍 ITA Airways will participate again this year at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, showcasing at the ENIT's exhibition space within the Europe pavilion. At the event, Chief Commercial Officer and CEO of Volare, Emiliana Limosani, along with international and local sales teams, will welcome trade representatives. ITA Airways currently offers 43 weekly frequencies in its winter schedule between London and its two hubs in Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate, focusing on London City Airport, a key business traffic segment.

🎭 On 29 October at 18:00, 5 Giornate di Milano travel agency hosts 'Intervista impossibile a Giacomo Puccini', featuring Gianfilippo Maria Falsina Lamberti, as part of the 'Ci vediamo in bottega con Giacomo Puccini' project. The event, celebrating the centenary of Puccini's death and his operas set in exotic locations like Japan, the USA, China, Paris, and Rome, will be held at Piazza Cinque Giornate 15, with free entry and refreshments. Gaia Cossali of L’Astrolabio announced the tribute.