Distribuzione e Revenue

✈️ easyJet sold over 20 million seats in Italy in the fiscal year ending September 30. At Malpensa, the carrier reached 8.6 million seats, served 67 routes, with an 8% annual increase. They confirmed their lead at Malpensa and plan to add a new flight simulator to their training center at Mxp. Naples also saw growth with 3.7 million seats offered and 49 routes.

📈 Aretè reported a 9% increase in the export price of Natural 11/13 hazelnuts since the end of September 2024, recovering to June 2024 levels after a drop earlier in Q2 2024. Despite a 10%-20% quantitative increase in the latest harvest, quality issues due to stink bug damage and limited availability of larger sizes have impacted market trends. Turkish exports in September-October 2024 rose 19% year-over-year, bolstering the market further.

✈️ In 2024, TravelPerk's annual Travel Disruption Report found 78% of business travelers experienced travel interruptions, with 43% facing delays over an hour. The survey covered 4,000 business travelers from the UK, USA, Germany, and Spain. Additionally, 27% dealt with cancellations, 21% were affected by weather and strikes. 41% missed or were late to client meetings due to disruptions, 40% incurred extra costs, and 36% worked overtime. Productivity was impacted for 85% of respondents. The US had high cancellation volumes, but China led with near 5% flight cancellation rates, followed by Canada and the US at 3%.

📅 Valle D'Aosta witnessed an uptick in tourist arrivals and overnight stays during June-September, registering 671,858 tourists (+1.6% compared to 2023) and 1,813,577 overnights (+2.91% year-over-year). Domestic arrivals fell by 5.36% (358,960 tourists) with a 1.84% decrease in overnight stays (593,904), while foreign tourist numbers jumped to 312,898 (+10.96%) and overnights to 1,219,673 (+14.29%). Excluding short-term rentals, the summer of 2024 would see a decline of 5.51% in overnights and 3.18% in arrivals. July's flood led to a -4.98% dip in overnights and -6.91% in arrivals.

📊 AstraRicerche conducted a survey in August 2024 on Italian youth (18-29 years) revealing 47% are unaware of "IV Gamma" fresh packaged produce, while 37% heard of it but don't know its meaning. Nonetheless, 73% buy these products regularly (39% weekly). Misinformation persists as 87% incorrectly believe these contain preservatives, yet 35% improperly store them without cool bags. Top purchases include bagged salads (59%) and cookable vegetables (50%), with 55% seeking IV Gamma-based recipes online, primarily on social media.

🌍 Speed Vacanze, an Italian travel company for singles, saw a 30% increase in bookings in 2024. Revenue grew by 28% in the first half of 2024 compared to the previous year, with more trips to international destinations like Cuba, Brazil, Turkey, and the Caribbean. The majority of travelers (72%) are professionals aged 40-55, with women comprising 56% of the clientele.

🍴 Enogastronomic tourism in Italy is thriving, with enotourism expected to grow by 12.9% annually and culinary tourism by 19.7% over the next five years, according to Grand View Research. Cheese tourism has increased by 7.3% over the last three years, popular among 18 to 24-year-olds. In 2023, enotourism spending rose by 18%, with an average expense of €109 and 3.3 people per booking, 43.8% of whom are 25 to 34 years old. Almost 80% of bookings are made online, saving hundreds of hours, as reported by Winesuite and Divinea’s 2024 Enotourism and Direct-To-Consumer Sales Report. Additionally, 76.5% of visitors to wineries purchased at least one bottle of wine. Despite positive trends, the sector faces challenges, including a 43% of operators struggling to find qualified workers, 17% citing lack of effective territorial collaborations, 14% identifying infrastructure issues, another 14% concerned with excessive bureaucracy and regulations, and 10% noting the absence of specific financial incentives.

📅 The Global Business Travel Association reports European business travel spending is estimated to reach €360.4 billion by 2024, a 10.4% increase from 2023. Europe will account for 26.4% of the global spending of €1.36 trillion this year. By 2028, European spending is predicted to rise to €476.6 billion, representing 25.8% of the forecasted global business travel expenditure of around €1.840 trillion. Western Europe expects a 9.8% travel spending increase, with emerging European countries projected to grow faster at 14.7%. Real estate, services, and public administration lead Western Europe's growth, while construction, finance, and transportation are top sectors in emerging European countries. European business travelers focus on sustainability, with 22% prioritizing lower carbon emissions, exceeding the global average of 16%.

🏠 Nomisma's study reveals nearly 13% of Italian homes are empty or underused. Short-term rentals account for only 1.3% of properties, with 0.11% rented out for more than 120 nights annually. These mainly impact certain historic center districts. Short-term rentals contribute €7.9 billion to Italy's economy in 2023, supporting over 54,000 jobs. Airbnb considers this sector a resource for Italy's hospitality, pledging support.

📦 Direct booking strategies are crucial for sustainable business growth and higher profitability in hospitality. By cutting out intermediaries like Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), properties can boost profit margins up to 25%, gain control over pricing, inventory, and guest data, leading to personalized marketing and enhanced guest experiences. Key tools for successful disintermediation include a responsive website design with fast loading times, a user-friendly booking interface, professional images, secure payment gateways, digital marketing infrastructure, and analytics. Effective strategies involve strong online presence, digital marketing, revenue management, guest communication, loyalty programs, and monitoring Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) with a target of 40-60% in direct bookings. Implementing these tactics systematically can significantly reduce dependency on intermediaries.