Fusioni & Acquisizioni

🍮 Olivieri 1882, a historic artisanal pastry business based in Arzignano (VI), has entered a new phase with Bauli Group acquiring a majority stake. Led by Nicola and Andrea Olivieri, the brand is renowned for high-end artisanal leavened products. Bauli, founded in 1922, is a leading Italian confectionery company with 1,300 employees and 7 production sites. This strategic alliance aims to elevate Italian culinary excellence globally while preserving Olivieri 1882's autonomy and identity.

🏨 King Street invests €400 million in Spain-based Room00, founded in 2012, to expand in key markets, including Italy. By 2030, Room00 aims for 200 properties with 15,000 rooms in Southern Europe. In 2023, they reported €40 million in revenue and aim for €65-75 million by 2024's end. Recent acquisition: TOC Hostels for €20 million. Room00's brands include Room00 Hostels, Room Select Hotels, LETOH LETOH, and TOC Hostels, with expansions planned in Lisbon, Malaga, and Porto.

💵 CitizenM, a hotel brand started in 2008, has been acquired by Marriott, the world's largest hotel chain. Airbnb plans international expansion due to U.S. market softness, with a focus on Italy and high-quality hotels. Hilton aims for tenfold growth in India, with 32 hotels currently and 29 in development. Greece saw €21.5 billion in tourism revenue last year. Cuba targets Chinese tourists for growth amid U.S. sanctions. The concept of the "motel" celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

🌍 Nel 2024, il Perù ha accolto oltre 3.256.000 turisti internazionali, un aumento del 49% rispetto al 2023, con 55.380 italiani. Previste 70.000 visite italiane nel 2025, un incremento del 26% rispetto al 2024. Investimenti di circa 100 milioni di dollari in progetti turistici, tra cui l'hotel La Reserva. L'aeroporto Jorge Chávez triplicherà la capacità entro il 2025. Il sito Qhapaq Ñan e i campi Waru Waru di Puno sono stati riconosciuti internazionalmente.

🎉 In Italy, 77% of Italians consume snack cakes typically twice a week, with an average weight of 35 grams. The snack cake sector reached nearly €1.4 billion in 2024, with approximately 192 million kg sold. Nutritional improvements over the last 15 years include reduced portion sizes, 20% less saturated fats, 30% less sugars, and 21% fewer calories. Each year, an average of 8-10 new snack cake varieties are launched.

🏠 Dino Innocenti acquired the Grand Hotel Mediterraneo in Florence 70 years ago, creating a prestigious 340-room hotel with 620 beds. FH55 Hotels, aiming to elevate luxury standards, invests €20 million in the Grand Hotel Palatino in Rome, reducing rooms from 198 to 157 and adding a Presidential Suite. The refurbishment, starting winter 2023, will finish by spring 2027. The group's clientele is 35-40% American, with an office in London and Manhattan. The Michelin-starred Ristorante Serrae opened in 2025, with revenues and operating margin up by 30% post-Covid and 18% year-on-year, despite a booking slowdown for July-September due to economic uncertainty and concerns about Rome's Jubilee.

✈ Italy has 113 airports, with 45 open to commercial traffic and 68 largely closed. Enac has listed 211 airfields suitable for tourist aircraft. Investments by private investors, often foreigners, focus on luxury hospitality or personal logistics. Enac, led by President Pierluigi Di Palma, aims to enhance small airports such as Rome Urbe and Arezzo for tourism deconcentration. A €4 million investment is rejuvenating Marche's airport, and international interest targets the ultralight aviation field at Campo di Volo Apricena Fly in Foggia, and infrastructural expansions at Dominio di Bagnoli in Padua and Melpignano near Lecce enhance tourist appeal.

🏡 Starhotels secured a 10-year €350 million funding from a banking syndicate (BNL BNP, BPER, BPM, Crédit Agricole, MPS, Unicredit) in addition to a €460 million agreement from 2022, expiring in 2027. These funds are aimed at acquiring new properties and consolidating the current organization. In October 2024, at the Italian Hospitality Investment Conference, co-CEO Fabrizio Gaggio outlined Starhotels' 2025 strategy focusing on management contracts and luxury collection expansion in strategic locations like Milan's Rosa Grand with 370 rooms, the Amalfi Coast, and Puglia. Rothschild & Co advised financially, while Legance Avvocati Associati and McDermott Will & Emery Studio Legale Associato provided legal counsel.

💰 In 2024, shopping in Italy saw a positive trend with 24% of total tourist spending. International tourists contributed 51%, with clothing purchases leading at 70%. Lombardy, particularly Milan, accounted for nearly 30% of shopping expenditure. American tourists spent the most outside of Arab and Asian visitors, with their spending up 10% from 2023. Central Italy's regions Tuscany and Lazio contributed 35%. Overall, shopping growth was 18%, with domestic spending up 22-24% and international up 13%. U.S., Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, and the UK were the main shoppers, with U.S. tourists making up 20% of international shopping and the highest average spending over 120 euros. Turkish shoppers' spending surged by 70%, while spending from the UAE grew by 22%. Mastercard's analysis highlighted seasonal and merchandise trends, with Americans favoring late spring to early summer and September-October for their shopping trips in Italy.

🏖️ Tuttoviaggi, a historic travel agency in Milan, has been acquired by ACI blueteam to enhance their luxury leisure market brand 'Exclusive'. Piergiorgio Reggio, Corporate Leisure & Marketing Director at ACI blueteam, emphasizes the strategic move for growth in Milan with a complete agency renovation planned post-summer for an exclusive luxury travel lounge. The agency's prestige is augmented by Virtuoso affiliation and over 20 preferred partnerships in Luxury Hôtellerie, offering clients numerous benefits and privileges.