Distribuzione e Revenue

🌍 Naar, an Italian travel company, projects a double-digit revenue growth in 2024 compared to 2023, driven by long-haul trips to Japan, Indocina, the United States, Polynesia, Peru, Colombia, Canada, and Fiji. Luca Battifora, recently appointed General Manager, highlights the success of the Bespoke product in Europe. The tailored travel experiences cater to a growing international clientele. Naar's B2B model capitalizes on the partnership with travel agencies for customized itineraries. The firm targets €73-74 million in revenue for 2024, aiming for an 11-12% growth in the Italian market. Additionally, there's a notable shift in Central and Southern Italy's market trends, with increased bookings to traditionally less popular long-haul destinations, such as Southern Africa.

💰 Meliá Hotels International, in the first half of 2024, reduced its debt by €271.6 million to €892.1 million, with an operating cash flow of €70 million aimed solely at reducing losses. During the same period, the hotel company's consolidated revenue reached €960 million, a 5-point increase from the previous year, and Ebitda rose to €240.3 million, up 10% from 2023. CEO Gabriel Escarrer noted the debt reduction as confirming positive financial forecasts. The first semester showed a full recovery to pre-pandemic levels in both leisure and corporate sectors, contributing to a 13.2% increase in RevPar.

🏖️ Lombardia reports a 7.5% increase in summer tourist stays. Barbara Mazzali, regional councilor, highlights a strong start to 2024 with a prolonged winter season and high numbers during Easter. Lombardia attracts national and international tourists, with 17% more presences in 2023 compared to 2019. The first half of 2024 saw approximately 23.8 million overnight stays, up 11.5% from the previous year; foreign visitors made up about 65% of guests, with 85% in provinces like Como.

💸 Klm Group, mid-2024, records a loss of €31 million, with higher revenues of €6 billion compared to €5.6 billion in the first six months of 2023. This loss is attributed to increased costs, despite a higher passenger total of 16 million from January to June 2024. In contrast, the first half of 2023 saw a profit of €129 million. Subsidiary Transavia also reports higher revenue, hosting 4.5 million guests. Measures to improve financial performance and control costs are planned post-summer.

✈ Southwest Airlines, after a distinctive 50+ year policy of open seating, will introduce an extra fee for seat selection next year, along with extra legroom seats and overnight flights, expecting to generate over $1 billion in additional annual revenue and attract more corporate clients. The new strategy details will be revealed in September. Analyst Savanthi Syth estimates that assigned seating could bring in $500 million to $1.5 billion per year, while legroom choices could add another $500-800 million annually. However, reconfiguring around 446 Boeing 737-800 and 737 Max 8 planes for 30 extra legroom seats could take up to 3 years.

🏨 In Rimini, over 160 hotels are listed for sale, reported by Resto del Carlino. The properties range from small, outdated hotels to multiple-star hotels in Marina Centro, with prices between 3 and 5 million euros. Patrizia Rinaldis, president of Federalberghi Rimini, views the market movement as a positive sign of investment in tourism.

💸 Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary reports a possible 10% decrease in summer fares compared to the previous year after a 15% drop in fares during April-June quarter, nearly halving the profits. Despite consumer spending challenges, travel demand persists but with a preference for cheaper seats. As of the interview, 95% of July seats, 74% of August, 40% of September, less than 20% of October, less than 10% of November, and less than 5% of December are sold. Ryanair can endure lower profit margins due to its size and low operational costs.

🇯🇲 Jamaica's Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has proposed a growth strategy for the travel industry focusing on diversifying demand, targeting visitors from the Middle East and Latin America, and reducing reliance on traditional markets. Enhancements in both digital and offline marketing, along with collaborations with airlines to improve connections and explore new routes, are pivotal to the strategy. This approach aims to fortify the sector amid global economic uncertainties and air transport challenges.

💰 Switzerland tops the list of the world's most expensive countries with a score of 75, followed by Singapore (72), Hong Kong (65), Iceland (63), Bahamas (62), and the USA (56). Italy ranks 30th with a moderate price level (38), aligned with Malta (39), while Spain (32) and Greece (34), similar to Portugal (33), are among the more affordable countries for living and vacationing. Over half of the pricey destinations listed are in Europe, including Denmark, Netherlands, France, and Germany, alongside the high positions of the UAE and New Zealand.

📈 In June, according to ISTAT, while general service prices fell, hotel and train ticket prices dropped but remained above the 0.8% inflation rate, increasing by 3.4% monthly. Airfares plummeted year-on-year by 10.9%, but rose by 10.6% since May due to seasonal factors. Maritime transport decreased by -5.1% from May, train ticket prices surged from an annual 8.1% to 9.3%, with a 0.2% monthly rise. Codacons reports travel and tourism sectors seeing sharp increases: vacation packages up 20.5% annually, hotel rates by 5.1%, holiday villages and campsites by 6%, other accommodation services by 7.2%. Train travel costs 9.3% more, bus fares increased by 3.9%, with national flights up by 25.2% within a month, and international flights by 13.3%. Parking fees rose by 2.3%, tolls by 1.9%, amusement parks by 4.5%, museums and monuments by 2.3%, and restaurant prices by 3.5%.