Fusioni & Acquisizioni

🏂 In Roccaraso, following an influx of tourists from Campania, a cap of 100 buses per day has been introduced. After disruptive tourist behavior escalated post-viral videos by a well-known TikToker, the Prefecture of L'Aquila implemented a filtering system on state road 17. Concerns over overtourism pertain only to non-skiers; Roccaraso remains a prestigious ski destination.

🏨 In 2023, Gruppo ABC, with 14 properties and over 800 rooms, partnered with traveltech startup Hotiday, yielding a €500,000 revenue increase and a 94% occupancy rate, up 4-7% over two years. Hotiday's model involves buying a selected number of rooms (5% of total capacity) and optimizing them with technology like virtual assistants and smart TVs. The partnership expanded in 2024 to seven ABC properties. The Italian hotel sector grew in 2024 with a 54% increase in sold nights and a 63% rise in economic value.

📌 Invel Real Estate & YellowSquare's strategic partnership involves a €200 million investment targeting Italy and Southern Europe to manage 5,000 beds. Invel has experience with over 2,000 keys in the Mediterranean, while YellowSquare has 20+ years in the industry. The new investment vehicle, 100% owned by Invel, will develop assets in Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal. The deal is expected to close by Q1 2025. YellowSquare hosted over 100,000 guests in 2023, generating €14.4 million in revenue, a 37% increase from 2022. Upcoming YellowSquare openings include Turin, Venice, and Bologna.

🏠 Pompei, candidate for Italian Capital of Culture 2027, boasts Carmine Lo Sapio as its mayor. The city's pedestrian zone, the largest in Campania, attracts 20-30 thousand daily visitors, peaking at 100,000 on festive weekends. Post-Covid, tourism has become residential with full accommodations year-round, surpassing pre-Covid numbers. Pompei invested €600,000 in nighttime lighting for the archaeological site. The city's security system effectively handles up to 100,000 people during special events.

🏨 Blackstone Group, after acquiring Hotel Investment Partners (HIP) in 2017 from Banco Sabadell, is set to sell its 65% stake, valued at €6.5 billion. Sale options include a private equity transfer or an IPO by year-end. Singapore's sovereign fund GIC, which invested in October 2023, holds the remaining 35%. HIP, based in Barcelona, owns 73 hotels with over 22,000 rooms across Spain, Italy, Greece, and Portugal. Blackstone has invested nearly €750 million in hotel renovations over eight years.

✈ EasyJet started 2025 with a reduced Q1 pre-tax loss of £61 million, a 52% improvement from the previous year's £126 million. The company saw a 7% increase in passenger traffic and an 88.2% load factor. Revenue rose 13% to £2.037 billion. CEO Kenton Jarvis noted a strong summer demand with an extra million customers booked, favoring destinations like Palma, Faro, and Alicante. However, Easter travel bookings lag, impacting winter results. In Italy, EasyJet will add eight aircraft after acquiring Linate slots relinquished by Lufthansa and Ita Airways due to a merger.

🛫 Sostravel.com launched a commercial agreement with Veratour in 2024 to diversify sales channels. The partnership offers a ‘Bagaglio no problem’ service for customers purchasing Go West and Go East catalog products through travel agencies, ensuring lost luggage is traced and delivered within 48 hours. Massimo Crippa, Sostravel.com’s COO, highlights the endorsement from leading Italian tourism entities. Veratour, with a repeater rate over 40%, seeks to enhance customer vacation experiences, says Commercial Director Massimo Broccoli.

🚢 GNV is opening 500 new positions due to the addition of two ships to its fleet, part of MSC Group. Hiring campaign starts in Palermo on January 29, 2025, in collaboration with Sviluppo Lavoro Italia and employment centers. Twelve meetings across Sicily, Puglia, Calabria, Campania, Trieste, Ravenna, and Genova will follow. Various roles, including hotel and ship management, are sought. Candidates are supported through navigation courses and training with MSC Training Center. CVs can be submitted via www.gnv.it under "Lavora con noi".

📍 Eurowings, a member of the Lufthansa Group, has received approval to purchase 40 new B 737-8 Max aircraft to replace the current fleet of A319 and A320 planes. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2027, with the fleet renewal expected to be completed by 2032.

💿 Xenia Hotellerie Solution announced pre-2024 revenues of €57.2 million, with a strategic plan to more than double revenue to over €120 million by 2028. Ebitda reached €2.5 million, with a 4.4% margin, aiming for 10%-12% by the end of the plan. The industrial plan for 2025-2028 includes investments of €25 million in the first two years. Phi Hotels is repositioning with over 25 four-star properties in Central-Northern Italy, targeting premium business and leisure travelers. New acquisitions and the development of an incoming operator focused on experiential tourism in Italian provinces are also planned, as well as wholesaler business growth. CEO Ercolino Ranieri notes that the pre-2024 results are in line with revenue forecasts, with four new Phi Hotels openings and advancements in business accommodation. Despite non-recurring costs limiting Ebitda to €2.5 million, qualitative indicators show positive investment trends. The company, with over 30 years in the hospitality sector, emphasizes flexibility in overcoming challenges like wars, energy price hikes, and staffing issues.