Distribuzione e Revenue

🍰 Christmas period 2024 saw significant sales increases in many bakeries, some exceeding 40% compared to the previous year. Expert Nicola Candian, at Sigep World in Rimini (January 18-22, 2025), highlighted the confusion among operators between cash flow and true margin. A study of 100 Italian bakeries showed 78% of owners inaccurately calculated production costs. For instance, a handmade panettone sold at €38 had an estimated margin of 70%, while the actual margin was around 55-60%. The average real margin during the rest of the year is about 25%. Costs analysis revealed: raw materials 25-30%, energy 15-20%, personnel up to 35-40%, equipment amortization 10-15%, packaging and marketing 8-10%. The Christmas season, accounting for 20% of annual turnover, often masks structural inefficiencies, with 65% of bakeries using December revenues to cover subsequent months' expenses. A Northern Italian bakery with €800,000 turnover had a real margin of just €45,000 (

📈 Italian companies are expected to see real revenue growth of +1.2% in 2025 and +1.4% in 2026, recovering from a decline of -0.9% in 2024. The services and tourism sectors are projected to be high-performing, with info and communication increasing by +12.95%, tourism and catering by +9.17%, and renewables installations by a staggering +139.12% from 2023 to 2026. However, geopolitical uncertainty, US tariffs, monetary policy, and international tensions could impact this positive trend.

🏖️ Eurostat reported 2.99 billion tourist overnight stays in the European Union for 2024, a 2% increase (53.4 million more) over the previous year. Growth driven by international guests (+58.7 million), despite a slight drop in domestic stays (-5.3 million). Accommodation-wise, hotels and similar establishments accounted for 1.9 billion stays (63%), followed by holiday homes with 711 million (24%) and campsites with 396 million (13%). Luxembourg (+22%), Malta (+13%), and Latvia (+7%) saw the highest rises in 2024, while France and Belgium experienced slight decreases (-1% each), and numbers remained stable in Sweden, Finland, and Italy.

✈️ Aviation had a historic year in 2024, offering a record 5.85 billion passenger seats globally, surpassing the previous high of 5.72 billion in 2019. Despite a 2% increase in seat capacity, the total number of scheduled flights in 2024 was 36.4 million, 5% below 2019 levels, indicating a shift towards larger aircraft. American Airlines led in passenger seats, followed by Delta, United, Southwest, and Ryanair as the top non-US operator. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport remained the busiest with 62.7 million seats, followed by Dubai International with 59.7 million. The Seoul Gimpo-Jeju route was the busiest, with over 15 million seats annually.

🏖 A Skyscanner survey found 51% of Italian travelers consider January key for making new year travel plans. However, 82% face indecision, and 96% cite overall trip cost as significant. To combat decision fatigue, neuroscientist Faye Begeti offers tips: narrow options, prioritize key decisions, align vacation with mental state, leverage anticipatory dopamine, and explore new destinations. The phenomenon, termed 'WanderLOST', affects travelers globally, indicating budget is a prime concern for Italians when planning trips.

🏦 Italy's hotel sector investment soared to €2.1 billion in 2024, a 36% increase from 2023's €1.54 billion. With a 47% overall growth to nearly €10 billion, hotels ranked second in investment volumes. The fourth quarter alone saw €650 million, highlighting value-add investor confidence, especially in leisure markets and major art cities. Rome led in transactions and value, while Milan attracted high-end investments. Notable acquisitions included Torino's Golden Palace Hotel and the Grand Hotel Poltu Quatu in Arzachena.

🍺 November 2024 CGA by NIQ Consumer Pulse Report highlights growth in Ready To Drink (RTD) beverages among Italians. 26% have purchased RTDs in the last three months, and 49% are open to trying them. Dining out remained steady with 84% of consumers, and 55% went out for drinks. Price influences 31% to buy RTDs, while 32% find them too costly. Incentives like unique drinks (27%), variety of flavors (27%), and convenience (17%) drive purchases, but 36% desire more variety; 27% are deterred by high sugar content.

💰 Alpitour World closed 2024 with a consolidated turnover of nearly €2.1 billion, marking a 7% increase from 2023, and transported 2.3 million passengers with Neos, including 206,000 foreign tourists to Italy, reaching a total of one million customers. Despite a challenging start with booking collapses in Egypt due to the Israel-Hamas conflict, the summer saw a significant recovery. Prospects for increased demand are high, but there are concerns about whether the supply, including airports, planes, and railways, can keep up. Neos plans to expand its fleet from 16 to 19 aircraft, with the 17th expected in April. The demand for luxury hotels continues to grow, with a 35% increase in Italy, although supply still falls short of demand, as seen by the 73% occupancy rate of Alpitour's eight five-star VRetreats hotels, aiming to expand to 10. U.S. funds represent 80% of the total invested in Italian hotels last year, driving up property prices.

📅 Chinese tourism sector faced significant challenges over the last four years but shows signs of optimism, according to a December 2024 survey by Dragontrail among 465 Chinese travel agents. More than half predict outbound travel will return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2025, especially to Asia, North America, and Europe. Agents are focusing on niche segments and using platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin to boost sales. A full recovery is expected by 66% of agents by the end of 2025, with Asia and Europe leading. The Chinese market is divided into three main demographic groups, with post-00 and post-90 generations being the primary target for 43% of agents, mostly from first-tier cities. Silver tourism is also growing, with retirees seeking high-quality travel experiences. To reach Chinese travelers effectively, Douyin (69%), Xiaohongshu (56%), and Ctrip (56%) are the platforms with the highest conversion rates. Trade fairs in Mainland China and Hong Kong are essential for networking. Travelers are increasingly looking for Chinese language services, niche attractions, timely travel product updates, smooth electronic payments, competitive pricing, and dedicated offers.

✈ Airlink, serving 45 destinations in Southern Africa, will provide two weekly flights between Johannesburg and St. Helena and between Cape Town and St. Helena until March 2025, with a refueling stop in Walvis Bay, Namibia. From April 1st, Airlink will operate three direct weekly flights between Cape Town and Gaborone, Botswana. Starting March 28th, three weekly flights will connect Johannesburg with Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Domestic routes include Cape Town to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Cape Town to Bloemfontein.