Fusioni & Acquisizioni

🏡 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.

🏨 Dutch chain CitizenM joins Marriott International with 36 hotels and 8,544 rooms across over 20 cities including New York, London, Paris, and Rome. CitizenM's expansion includes three hotels with over 600 rooms expected to open by mid-2026. Founded in 2008, it targets modern travelers and businesspeople with technology-driven accommodations. Marriott will pay $355 million for the brand and related intellectual property, with the existing portfolio becoming part of Marriott's system under new long-term franchise agreements. Founder and CEO Rattan Chadha expresses enthusiasm for the partnership with Marriott, which shares CitizenM's values and culture.

🌏 Xi'an and Shaanxi, China aim to become the primary gateway for Italians, with collaboration agreements signed in Milan by Shaanxi Tourism Association, Associazione Terme d'Italia, Shaanxi Tourism Group, and Istituto Italo-Cinese. Celebrating the 55th anniversary of Italy-China diplomatic relations, Liu Kan highlighted the historic friendship and mutual trust. Over 432,000 tourists attended the last Spring Festival in organized groups, a 6.3% increase from 2024, bringing the total to 16.2 million visitors and a 31.4% revenue growth for the top 20 travel agencies. China Eastern Airlines operates three weekly direct flights from Milan Malpensa to Xi’an since last October, and visa-free policies have been extended to 30 days. Shaanxi plans 314 projects worth 66 billion euros for 2025 development, including four new UNESCO sites itineraries featuring the Terracotta Army.

🍫 Enit and Ferrero collaborate on "Nutella Buongiorno," a limited edition collection showcasing 21 Italian landscapes through Nutella jars. Each jar features an iconic or lesser-known Italian location at dawn. Alessandra Priante, president of Enit Spa, highlights the campaign's goal to unite and inspire through a journey across Italian regions. Locations include Alpe di Siusi, Castello Aragonese d’Ischia, and Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso.

🏨 Sabre is selling its Hospitality Solutions division to TPG for $1.1 billion. The deal involves investment through TPG Capital into Hospitality Solutions, turning it into an independent entity. Hospitality Solutions, which serves over 40% of top hotel brands with SaaS-based software, will use the $960 million net proceeds (after taxes and fees) to reduce Sabre's debt. This strategic move, emphasized by Sabre's President and CEO Kurt Ekert, is aimed at improving the balance sheet and focusing on long-term sustainable growth.

🏨 Marriott International acquires Dutch-based hotel developer, investor, and chain citizenM. The deal aims to boost Marriott's lifestyle offerings, with citizenM's global portfolio consisting of 36 hotels and 8,544 rooms across the USA, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, including cities like New York, London, Paris, and Rome. Three more hotels are scheduled to open by 2026. Anthony Capuano, president and CEO of Marriott International, highlights the brand's appeal to tech-savvy guests and the synergy with Marriott's global development system and Marriott Bonvoy loyalty platform.

🏦 Ita Airways aims to strengthen its presence in the Middle East by promoting flights from Rome to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The airline, for the first time, is participating in the Arabian Travel Market at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Last year, Ita Airways launched direct flights from Fiumicino to Dubai, Riyadh, and Jeddah. The luxury tourism sector in Lombardy is targeting high-spending travelers at ATM 2025. The travel industry's presence at the Arabian Travel Market hit 67% exhibitors and 52% visitors this year. The tourism sector of the UAE expects 40 million tourists by 2030, contributing around $100 billion to the economy. Jumeirah recently opened the Marsa Al Arab in Dubai, featuring 386 rooms and suites, and the Ciel Tower, set to be the world's tallest hotel, is soon to open.

🏨 RateHawk closed 2024 with a 67% increase in bookings. The b2b platform for sales of hotels, air tickets, and transfers for tourism professionals, marked its 9th year by growing net booking value by 1.8 times compared to the previous year. In 2024, it engaged with over 70 new accommodation providers, exceeding 300 wholesalers globally, and signed direct contracts with more than 34,000 facilities, totaling 120,000 properties. RateHawk's catalog now boasts over 2.6 million properties. The service expanded to 8 additional languages, reaching a total of 32. Following UN Tourism's report, 1.4 billion people traveled internationally in 2024, nearing pre-pandemic levels. RateHawk's number of partners grew by 50%, now with over 93,000 tourism professionals worldwide, as stated by Felix Shpilman, President and CEO of Emerging Travel Group, RateHawk's parent company.