Fusioni & Acquisizioni

🏠 Independent hotel Palazzo Ripetta, led by Giacomo Crisci of Gruppo Ginobbi, has earned prestige within two years by joining elite clubs like Relais & Chateaux and receiving the Forbes Star Award. Despite the presence of international hotel chains in Italy being low at 20.1%, it's expected to surpass 22% in the next three years, leading to market consolidation. Recently, Gruppo Ginobbi began managing the five villas of Torre Sponda in Positano, indicating plans to replicate Palazzo Ripetta's successful model in heritage-rich, sustainable projects with a personalized service focus. The group is also exploring luxury extended stays and aims to expand into high-tourism cities like Florence, Milan, and Turin, as well as European opportunities through direct acquisitions and strategic partnerships, adhering to their discreet luxury model that emphasizes local identity, sustainability, and Italian excellence.

✈ Ryanair will connect Rimini to 8 destinations—Budapest, Cagliari, Cracovia, Kaunas, Palermo, Praga, Londra Stansted, and Vienna—in summer 2025 with over 50 weekly flights. 2025 marks Ryanair's 27th year at Rimini airport. Fabrizio Francioni calls for the abolition of the Italian municipal tax to boost tourism, promising a $4 billion investment, 40 new aircraft, 80 million annual passengers, 250 new routes, and 1,500 jobs in Italy if the tax is removed.

🎢 Costa Crociere and Emirates renewed their partnership until 2027 to further develop Dubai as a premier cruise destination, offering integrated air, land, and sea transport options. They will collaborate on marketing initiatives, harmonized flight programming, and convenient connections to meet demand from key markets. The partnership includes data sharing, passenger support teams at Dubai Harbour cruise terminal, and advanced transport solutions from Dubai International Airport to the cruise terminal. The companies also aim to expand beyond Dubai into areas like Central and South America, the Far East, and Southeast Asia. Costa Crociere has operated in Dubai's port since 2006, and in winter 2025-2026, their flagship Costa Toscana will offer a "flight+ cruise" package, including a week-long cruise with stops in Dubai, Muscat, Doha, and Abu Dhabi.

🏖️ Freedome, an Italian startup, offers over 4,500 outdoor experiences nationwide, with a 350,000-member community and more than 1,500 professional operators. They partnered with Ruralis, which manages vacation homes with a focus on Italy's lesser-explored regions like historic villages and rural areas, aiming to enhance local communities. Ruralis simplifies rental management for homeowners, from advertising to booking, payments, and guest communication. The collaboration allows Ruralis guests to access dedicated offers on Freedome's outdoor activities. Activities include horseback riding, quad excursions, rafting, boating, paragliding, hot air ballooning, and more—benefiting tourists with authentic local experiences and homeowners with longer guest stays.

🌍 Abercrombie & Kent, founded in 1962 by Geoffrey Kent, unveiled a complete brand identity restyling, embodying tradition with an elegant aesthetic. The new tagline, 'Life, Well-Travelled', conveys transformative travel experiences. Peter Chipchase, chief marketing officer at A&K Travel Group, emphasized the company's ethos of 'adventure by day, luxury by night'. A global team of journey designers crafts unique luxury travel experiences. The rebranding includes a modern monogram by King & Partners, signifying journey and discovery, and a revamped digital presence with a unified website and cohesive social media channels. Senior team members hail from prestigious luxury and lifestyle brands like Belmond, Soho House, LVMH, De Beers, Bally, and L'Oréal. The rebrand also evolves Sanctuary Retreats into A&K Sanctuary, enhancing high-end safari camps, lodges, and riverboats, including the launch of A&K's first riverboat in Peru. A new magazine, 'Souvenir', accompanies the rebrand, featuring renowned travel writers and photographers.

📍 In January 2025, passenger demand in the airline industry rose by 10%, with overall capacity increasing by 7.1% compared to the previous year, according to IATA. The January load factor reached a record 82.1%, a 2.2 percentage point increase from January 2024. International demand grew by 12.4% year-on-year, while domestic demand saw a 6.1% increase. Asia-Pacific airlines led with a 21.8% rise in demand and an 86.7% load factor. Latin American airlines followed with a 12.9% increase in demand. European carriers saw an 8.6% rise; Middle Eastern carriers, a 9.6% increase; and African airlines, a 14.9% increase. North American airlines had a modest 3.8% rise in demand.

🏨 Garibaldi Hotels, founded in 2013 in Puglia, Italy, operates 14 properties with over 1,200 rooms. Led by CEO Fabrizio Prete and President Egidio Ventimiglia, the group formed Garibaldi Hotels Spa in 2018. As of 2023, the company generated a revenue of €18 million, a 35% increase year-over-year, and a 75% increase including the Hilton Garden Inn in Lecce. Room revenue hit €14.2 million, a 70% rise, with the group's EBITDA reaching €1.21 million, up 170%. The ROI and ROS grew by 181% and 114% respectively. A new hotel opening in Rome is planned for 2025, aiming for a 20% growth and 30% revenue increase.

✈ 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.