Conferenze e Fiere

🏡 Direct flights from Forlì to Vienna by Go To Fly make Styria and Carinthia more accessible from June to September. A webinar on Tuesday, April 16, from 14:30 to 15:30, hosted by Austria Tourism and Austria Vacanze t.o., in collaboration with TTG Italia, will detail the new market offerings. Travel agencies in Emilia Romagna and Central Italy can benefit from custom travel packages that include these new flights, exploring UNESCO city Graz and Klagenfurt, as well as nearby regions. The webinar will feature experts Kathrin Ploder-Augurusa, Laura Corbetta, Elke Maidic, and Belinda Schagerl.

✈ Volotea launches a direct flight connection from Ancona Airport to Madrid starting December 19, during the Christmas holiday season. Flights will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays. This marks Volotea's third international route from Ancona, following Paris Orly and Barcelona, each also run twice a week. The airline aims to boost tourist flows between Marche and Spain's capital, with prospects of making it a stable annual service based on market response. Since 2012, Volotea has carried over one million passengers from Ancona.

🏡 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.

🏖️ Rome, Italy, will host the 25th edition of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit at the Auditorium Parco della Musica from September 28-30, 2025. The summit returns to Europe for the first time in six years and will feature discussions on digital transformation, regenerative tourism, and investment strategies. Previous editions have included speakers like John Kerry and conservationist Robert Irwin, as well as former Presidents Obama and Clinton. Further details, including speakers and agenda, will be announced later.

🛫 Travel retail in Italy is valued at 1.5-2 billion euros, representing 90% of the sector. Globally, the market is worth around 75 billion dollars, expected to double by 2035. Travel retail grows at 8.5/9% over the past decade, outpacing traditional retail's annual growth of 2.3-3%. Italy's aviation industry has seen passenger numbers increase from 150-160 million to 220 million over seven years. Rome's airports had a positive 2024, with Fiumicino Airport handling over 49 million passengers, a 21% increase from 2023 and 13% above 2019. Passenger projections for Italy are 300 million by 2032 and 500 million by 2042. Generation Z accounts for 15-18% of travel retail, expected to rise to 50%.

📍 The Marche region targets Anglo-Saxon markets, showcasing in the USA and the United Kingdom to attract American and British tourists for the upcoming summer season. Atim (Agency for Tourism and Internationalization of Marche) attended the Travel & Adventure Show in Washington DC and flies today to Journeys London seeking experiential tourism enthusiasts. Marina Santucci from Atim emphasizes the growing American market interest in Italy and aims to promote Marche as a unique destination, enhancing its global recognition.

📷 Emilio De Risi covers the contrasts between experiencing the idealized version of nature in tourism vs. the reality, as exemplified by the Kruger Park's practice of hiding harsh scenes before tourists arrive. Insights from the third Hotellerie Summit Pambianco include emerging vacation destinations like Lake Como, Puglia, Sicily, and Sardinia, with the trend of repositioning hotels being preferred by 65% of investors, 50% in luxury. The Gruppo Gattinoni notes a drop in the average age of business front-liners to 40-45 post-COVID19. A survey on summer vacations indicates the majority heading to the beach, 18% to art cities, and 3% to villages. Human company highlights direct bookings over intermediated ones in outdoor tourism, with numerous ancillary earning opportunities. A proposed TV series aims to rekindle love for hotel work. Paris is reviving its nightlife with the administration's support, mediating between clubs and residents, funding new venues, investing in noise reduction, and rewarding rule adherence. This balance between city policy and nightlife culture offers a case study in urban and tourism policy.

🏡 On March 10, Verona's luxurious five-star Due Torri Hotel hosted the presentation of "L'Ipogeo di Santa Maria in Stelle" by journalist and writer Germana Cabrelle. This book, part of the "Libri della Buonanotte" series by Duetorrihotels Group, aims to enrich guests' travel and cultural experiences. The hotel, a historic building that has hosted Mozart and Garibaldi, recently added a Health & Wellness area and supports local heritage projects like "67 Colonne" for the Arena di Verona's preservation. The book is available in Italian and English, catering to an international clientele from the USA, UK, Italy, Germany, France, Australia, and Brazil.

????️ Petra's Authority for Development and Tourism and the Colosseum Archaeological Park announced a partnership to enhance links between two world-renowned archaeological sites, both UNESCO World Heritage sites and named among the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli emphasized the strategic value of this initiative for cultural promotion and international cooperation. The agreement includes cultural, scientific, and promotional collaborations, such as conservation workshops, joint cultural events, reciprocal visits, and the sharing of promotional materials. Petra can now promote itself within the Colosseum, which attracts approximately 14 million visitors annually. Fares Braizat, Petra's development chief, and Alfonsina Russo, director of the Colosseum Park, both affirm the partnership as a step towards cultural exchange and enhancing global presence. This follows Petra’s 2019 twinning with Matera, the European Capital of Culture for that year.

🏖 Travelbuy, in tandem with Visit Malta, is hosting a weekend of training for select travel agents in Malta from today until Sunday. Attendees will explore the island, access exclusive sites, and discover Malta's offerings. The event features meetings, workshops, and a celebratory show on Saturday afternoon, marking Travelbuy's 18th anniversary, with industry personalities like Alfredo Vassalluzzo (Travelbuy's founder), Fabio Candiani (Msc Crociere's Sales and Network Director for Italy), Alessandra Tinti (Avis Rent's L&P Account Manager), and Ester Tamasi (Malta Tourism Authority's Director for Italy) in attendance. Top performers of the past year will be awarded.