Conferenze e Fiere

🍷 Vinitaly's 57th edition (Veronafiere, 6-9 April) highlights an "0 Alcohol Cocktail Bar" with a focus on NoLo (No and Low Alcohol) products, featuring 8 companies presenting 14 non-alcoholic wines. Mixology sector exhibits strong growth with 35 exhibitors, doubling from 2024, including entries from Canada and the Netherlands. A rich schedule of masterclasses and workshops begins on 6 April, covering diverse topics from food pairings to sustainable cocktail design. The event reflects the sober curious trend and the increasing quality bartending in the Horeca channel.

🍹 Celebrating Italy's National Made in Italy Day on April 15, Ferrarelle Società Benefit, the fourth largest mineral water company in Italy, launched Ferrarelle Chinotto. The new drink, following Limonata, Aranciata, and Gassosa, contains an infusion of Chinotti from Savona, and is enjoyed by over 20% of Italian families. It features a balance of sweet and bitter flavors, and is produced with natural effervescent water, without artificial colorants. The 250 ml cans are aimed at the Horeca channel, available in bars and restaurants, emphasizing authentic taste and Italian tradition.

🍽 On April 4, 2025, Michelin-starred restaurant Alto from Fiorano Modenese will participate in the Veuve Clicquot Garden Gastronomy event in Paris, alongside international chefs like Domenico Schingaro and Enrico Crippa. Chef Mattia Trabetti will present "Sturgeon, zucchini flowers, tangerine mustard" to pair with Veuve Clicquot's Grande Dame 2018, reflecting his culinary philosophy that combines tradition and innovation. The Paris event is part of the "Alto on Tour" series, which started on March 28 in Cesenatico with a collaboration with Marco Garattoni of Ancòra, and will continue on April 7 in Modena and conclude on May 19 in Fiorano Modenese.

🎲 Live Tourism, an evolving trend, has transformed the tourism industry by shifting focus from traditional hotel services to broader travel experiences. McKinsey's report "The state of tourism and hospitality 2024" highlights this trend, especially among Millennials and Gen. Z, who are 70% more likely to plan trips around special events compared to five years ago. Such events lead to spikes in hotel demand and Average Daily Rate (ADR), significantly benefitting local economies and attracting future infrastructure investments. Taylor Swift's tour exemplifies this, with her Milan show in 2023 and early 2024 causing a 250% increase in bookings compared to the previous year, indicating that Live Tourism is not just a fad but a lasting trend.

🍷 "La Primavera del Castellinaldo," a two-day event, celebrated the Castellinaldo subzone of Barbera d'Alba, attracting 600 accredited guests, featuring over 40 wines, involving 21 producers, and selling out three masterclasses of 60 people each. The final dinner by Chef Davide Odore highlighted Castellinaldo Barbera d'Alba Doc in culinary creations. The Vinaioli del Castellinaldo association, since its 1992 inception, has promoted local viticulture and achieved official recognition for "Castellinaldo Barbera d'Alba" on August 21, 2021.

🍺 Nonno Nanni, a leader in fresh cheese production in Italy for over 75 years, will be at the Parizza fair on April 2 and 3 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. They aim to strengthen their market position in France through Italat France, a distributor of premium Italian food products. They'll showcase a range of fresh cheeses and other Italian specialties like prosciutto, Grana Padano, pasta, tomato, and olive oil. The event is a chance to promote authentic Italian taste and high-quality ingredients for premium pizzas and gourmet pasta dishes.

🏡 La Dolce Vita Orient Express, Italy's first luxury train, was inaugurated at Roma Ostiense today. Its maiden journey on April 4 will travel through the Montalcino vineyards. The project involves Arsenale, Orient Express, FS Treni Turistici Italiani, and Fondazione FS. The train offers 31 cabins, including 18 suites, 12 deluxe, and one exclusive 'La Dolce Vita' Suite, restored by Cpl and Omer using Italian railway expertise. The interiors by Dimorestudio evoke the 60s with high-end materials and design nods to Giò Ponti and Gae Aulenti. Eight routes are planned across 14 regions, featuring Michelin-starred menus by chef Heinz Beck onboard. Attendees at the launch included CEOs Paolo Barletta, Gilda Perez-Alvarado, Luigi Cantamessa, and officials like Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè, Senate President Ignazio La Russa, and Rome's tourism councilor Alessandro Onorato.

🎢 Princess Cruises canceled all Majestic Princess sailings from Galveston scheduled between November 2026 and March 2027. The company cited a broader fleet deployment strategy. Impacted guests received full refunds, and alternative options are being provided. The Regal Princess will undertake its scheduled voyages from Galveston until March 15, 2026.

🏖 TravelBuy held its 18th convention in Malta, gathering 180 travel agencies for shared learning experiences. The event featured a partnership with Malta Tourism Authority VisitMalta and included MSC Cruises, Explora Journeys, Avis Group, and other partners. Attendees explored Malta through three educational excursions, including UNESCO heritage sites. The convention emphasized Malta's tourism growth potential, focusing on destagionalization, historical-cultural heritage, and specialized niches. The meeting concluded with awards for outstanding agencies of 2024, with Bari3 branch, led by Biagio Lops, winning the top prize.

🛫 Transavia, part of Air France-KLM, launched a new route to Trieste with its inaugural flight landing yesterday, establishing a connection to Rotterdam. The airline offers three weekly flights on this route every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, with the Saturday flight shifting to Sunday in July and August. Flights are operated with a B737-800 with 189 seats. Trieste Airport CEO Marco Consalvo welcomed Transavia as the fifth airline at the airport, noting the route's potential to boost tourism and commerce between the Netherlands and the Friuli Venezia Giulia region.