Fusioni & Acquisizioni

✈ Ita Airways partners with Lufthansa Group, offering codeshare flights with Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Air Dolomiti starting March 30. Joerg Eberhart, CEO of Ita Airways, aims to enhance customer travel experience and connectivity with access to over 100 new destinations, including key Italian regions like Sicily, Sardinia, Calabria, and Puglia. Volare loyalty members and 36 million Miles & More members can earn and use points on these flights, with extra points available from March 1 to April 15, 2025.

🏩 Ita Airways, under CEO Joerg Eberhart, is finalizing its industrial plan crafted by Lufthansa, set to unveil in 2 months, outlining a 5-year project trajectory. This marks the first plan featuring the German company's signature, with Eberhart revealing ongoing talks with union parties seeking industrial peace. Lufthansa's strategic approach mirrors its historical conduct with previous acquisitions like Swiss and Austrian, and they're currently eyeing Air Europa as well.

🏖️ Welcome Travel merged with Geo in 2021, Robintur joined Gattinoni in 2022, reshaping the Italian travel market. Chinasia was acquired by Idee per Viaggiare, Kel 12 gained I Viaggi di Maurizio Levi and Tucano, Shiruq was integrated into Mappamondo, all in 2023. Ruta40 formed Blufennec through acquisitions including CarréBlu, Gabbiano Livingston, and Upperail. MSC acquired a 50% stake in Italo in April 2024, after announcing the deal in October 2023, and showed interest in Alpitour. LMDV Hospitality Group took 100% of Twiga, merging Triple Sea Food with Majestas Group's Twiga.

🏡 LVG Hotel Collection announced the incorporation of the Hotel Pallanza in Verbania into its portfolio, marking its 11th hotel and 4th on Lago Maggiore. This addition brings the total room count in the area to 190 and projected 2024 revenue to €7.24 million. Hotel Pallanza, with 51 rooms, offers lake views, free Wi-Fi, minibar, air conditioning, and satellite TV. The hotel's restaurant blends tradition with innovation, complemented by a selection of local wines.

🏠 LMDV Hospitality Group, led by Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, acquires 100% of Gruppo Twiga from Flavio Briatore's Majestas Group, merging with Triple Sea Food (Casa Fiori Chiari, Trattoria del Ciumbia, Vesta). Expansion includes Vesta's relocation to Twiga in Forte dei Marmi, transformation of ex-Billionaire into Twiga in Sardinia with two restaurants, Vesta's introduction in Montecarlo and Baia Beniamin, and a new Twiga opening in Milan scheduled for September.

🏨 IHG acquired Ruby Hotels, including an initial hotel in Florence and an upcoming one in Rome, for €110.5 million. Ruby, founded in 2013, operates 20 hotels with 3,483 rooms across Europe and plans 10 more hotels, adding 2,235 rooms. Including cities like London, Vienna, Geneva, and Zurich, future openings are scheduled in Edinburgh, Marseille, Rome, and Stockholm within three years. The integration of Ruby hotels into IHG's system is set to start in 2025, increasing IHG's global system size by 0.3%, with an expected €10 million integration operational cost. Ruby has a 26% five-year CAGR and aims to grow to over 120 hotels in 10 years with IHG, potentially reaching 250 in 20 years.

🏨 BWH Hotels Italia & Malta closed 2024 with a turnover of €377 million, an average annual occupancy rate of 74%, and an Adr increase of +3.8%. Key destination Adr increases included Rome (+7.8%), Padova (+7.1%), and Firenze (+5.6%). The RevPar rose by an average of 2.7% from 2023, with regional highs in Veneto (+11%) and Lazio (+8%). Compared to 2019, Adr and RevPar have grown by 34% and 38.5%, respectively. CEO Sara Digiesi highlighted over 100 destinations covered and customer satisfaction growth. The Revenue Generating Index (RGI) from STR stood at 114, surpassing market averages. For the winter period, room occupancy and Adr grew by 4%, and spring-summer bookings are up by 10% with a 3% higher Adr. BWH is undertaking 42 renovation projects and has made 61 PMS technology upgrades. In expansion efforts, 12 new locations were launched in 2024, with 6 affiliations forthcoming, adding a total of 769 rooms to the network.

📌 IHG acquires Ruby brand for an initial purchase price of €110.5 million. Currently, Ruby manages 20 hotels (3,483 rooms) across major European cities and has 10 more in the pipeline (2,235 rooms). IHG's goal is to expand Ruby to over 120 hotels in the next decade, and more than 250 in 20 years. Ruby Group maintains operational independence while IHG aims to develop a third-party franchising business. The strategic framework ensures close collaboration while preserving Ruby's identity and innovative approach. Ruby's efficient operational model, including automation and self-service to maintain low labor costs without compromising personalized service, is protected under the agreement. Ruby hotels are located in Germany (9), the UK (3), Austria (3), Switzerland (2), Italy (1), Ireland (1), and the Netherlands (1); with future openings in Edinburgh, Marseille, Rome, and Stockholm within three years. Elie Maalouf, CEO of IHG, and Michael Struck, CEO of The Ruby Group, express confidence in the brand's growth and efficiency for investors and real estate partners.

🎢 Cordelia Cruises, an Indian cruise company, plans to expand its fleet by filing an Initial Public Offering (IPO) through its parent company, Waterways Leisure Tourism. The IPO aims to raise approximately 8 billion rupees. Currently operating a single ship, Cordelia is eyeing the secondhand market, looking for ships that can accommodate around 2,000 passengers, as they have received numerous offers from existing cruise lines updating their fleets with larger vessels.

🏦 Ernesto Preatoni, associated with the tour operating sector, listed Preatoni Group on the Paris Stock Exchange, specifically on the Euronext Access+ market segment for startups and SMEs with high growth potential. This debut was reported by La Repubblica. Initially planned for October 2022, the listing was delayed due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Preatoni has also contributed to the tourism industry through Domina, developing Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, and ventured into Myanmar about a decade ago.