Distribuzione e Revenue

🍕 TheFork generated €2.1 billion economic impact for 55,000 European restaurant partners. In Italy, TheFork brought 23 million consumers to restaurants, contributing €690 million in revenue and €73 million in savings to diners. Top cities for bookings in 2024 were Rome, Milan, Florence, Turin, and Naples, with Turin and Naples seeing the most significant growth. Consumer behavior showed a preference for dinner reservations (75%), Italian cuisine (31%), and spending €25-€50 per person (64%). Around 80% of bookings were made via the app. INSIDER restaurants constituted 25% of the platform's offerings and accounted for 30% of total bookings. The top 10 restaurant chains on TheFork showed substantial booking increases in 2024, led by brands like FraDiavolo and ROSSOPOMODORO.

🏡 Raffles Hotels & Resorts launched 'The Butler Did It' campaign, featuring bespoke packages by Raffles butlers. Omer Acar, CEO, emphasizes the brand's personalized service since 1887 and immersive travel experiences. Itineraries include stays at Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor and Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Cambodia, Raffles London at The OWO with historical tours, and helicopter transfers in Istanbul, private yacht excursions in Bali, and wellness treatments in Bahrain.

???? By 2025, Italy's trade, catering, and hotel industries may face a shortage of 258,000 workers, a 4% increase from the previous year. The shortage, highlighted by Confcommercio, includes specialized salespeople, butchers, and fishmongers, as well as waiters, bar staff, cooks, pizzaioli, and gelato makers. Causes include a demographic decline of 4.8 million young people (ages 15-39) since 1982, changing job preferences, lack of skilled labor, and reduced willingness to relocate. Solutions involve active labor policies, skill development, tighter industry-education links, and internships. The renewal of the Terziario CCNL, impacting 2.5 million workers, addresses precise skill classification for market needs.

✈️ Sichuan Airlines will commence a new direct route from Chengdu to Madrid on April 27, with four flights per week, using Airbus A330 with 305 seats. China’s Capital Airlines adds a fourth weekly frequency to Madrid-Hangzhou summer flights from June 22 to August 24, making Madrid's Barajas Airport a key hub with eight Chinese destinations and 30 weekly flights by six airlines. Other operators, China Southern and Xiamen Airlines, may also target Madrid post-pandemic, while Barcelona-El Prat maintains its connectivity without new routes.

🏧 Following the reduction of the minimum spending threshold for Tax Free Shopping from €154.95 to €70.01 by the Italian Ministry of Tourism and Minister Santanchè, Tax Free transactions surged by +44% from February 2024 to January 2025. Spending volumes increased by +5% and over 500,000 new shoppers, mainly from the USA (18%), Latin America (12%), Switzerland (9%), and Turkey (7%), were attracted. The lower threshold led to a spending contribution from major cities (Milan, Rome, Florence, Venice) falling to 52%, down 25 percentage points, while spending in less frequented destinations rose from 11% to 27%. Notable increases were seen in locations such as Catania (+73%), Como (+69%), and Amalfi (+65%). Transactions for local retail and small crafts surged by +56%, and spending volumes by +12%, with the leather goods and bags sector seeing +56% in transactions and +17% in spending.

🗽 In 2024, 50 nationalities, including over 20% under 25, traversed Italy's main religious route, the Via Francigena, for spiritual and cultural experiences. Departures spread throughout the year, with April favored (26%). The Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanchè, supports the sector with funds and agreements. 87% walked, while cyclists decreased to 13%. There's a slight male majority (51.4%). Italians are the largest group (70.7%), followed by France, the USA, the UK, and the Netherlands.

🎃 Carnevale tourism in Italy, from February 28 to March 4, generates over €450 million. Key locations include Venice, Viareggio, Fano, Ivrea, Putignano, Cento, Acireale, Sappada, Sciacca, and Mamoiada, impacting not just the event towns but their entire districts. Venice tops the economic movement chart, followed by Viareggio and then Ivrea (famous for the 'Battle of the Oranges') and Fano in third place. Foreign tourists significantly contribute to the Carnevale economy. For more details: [CNA Italy](https://www.cna.it/).

🏖 Nel 2024, il turismo internazionale ha eguagliato i livelli del 2019, con un incremento annuale del 13%. L'Asia, l'Europa e l'America Latina hanno visto aumenti rispettivamente del 9%, mentre il Nord America del 7%. La Spagna rimane la destinazione più popolare, seguita dagli USA. Il business travel, soprattutto il segmento Mice, comprende due terzi del mercato dei viaggi d'affari. Nonostante l'aumento dei costi, la tendenza al viaggio permane, con previsioni di crescita anche per il 2025.

🎡 Spagna highlights the Basque Countries for the 130th anniversary of Cristóbal Balenciaga’s birth. Madrid and Donostia-San Sebastián feature in a new trend in Spanish tourism from Barcelona to Getaria. 2025 expects a record 100 million arrivals, aiming to surpass last year’s tourist spending of over €122 billion, a 16% increase from 2023, reducing overtourism. Blanca Pérez-Sauquillo, director of Turespaña in Italy, targets high-end tourists. Hotel room cost up to €120, tourism GDP could grow by 3.6%, totaling 13.5% of national GDP.

💰 Amadeus closed 2024 with a 19.6% increase in net profit to €1.258 billion and a 12.9% rise in revenue to €6.141 billion. EBITDA grew by 13.2% to €2.335 billion, while operating profit jumped 18.2% to €1.635 billion. Air distribution revenue increased by 10.9% to €2.946 billion, while technology solutions for the aviation sector rose by 15.8% to €2.205 billion. Hotel and other solutions grew by 12.3% to €991.3 million. A new share buyback program worth up to €1.3 billion was announced, to be implemented over the next 12 months, as CEO Luis Maroto anticipates further growth in 2025.