Fusioni & Acquisizioni

🛫 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".

🏖️ Vito Spalluto, managing director of 7Pines Resort Sardinia, celebrates entry into Virtuoso, a luxury travel network with over 2,200 trusted providers in 100+ countries. Located in Baja Sardinia on a 15-hectare promontory, the resort is Hyatt's first in Sardinia and second Destination by Hyatt in Europe. Its "laid-back luxury" is known for bespoke experiences, Pure Seven Spa, and authentic local cuisines. Virtuoso affiliation boosts global visibility and access to travel consultants worldwide.

📌 Travel sector deal activity dropped by 4.3% in 2024 with 715 transactions including mergers and acquisitions (M&A), private equity, and venture financing globally, compared to 747 deals in 2023. Private equity operations improved by 26.1% in 2024, while M&A remained steady with a marginal increase of 0.4%, and venture financing deals fell by 22.3%. Europe experienced a 17% increase in deal volume, while North America, the Middle East and Africa, and Central and South America saw declines of 26.7%, 27.8%, and 13.3%, respectively. Asia-Pacific's deal volume slightly declined by 1.7%. The UK, India, and Japan's deal volumes grew by 10.8%, 36%, and 45.7%, respectively, while the US, China, and France faced reductions of 25.9%, 29.8%, and 26.9%. Transactions in South Korea and Australia remained unchanged.

🚩 In the United Kingdom, a proposed 60% hike in the cost of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) by the Home Office has sparked conflict with the travel industry. The ETA fee, newly implemented for non-EU countries and mandatory for European travelers from April, is set to rise from £10 to £16 (~€18). Willie Walsh, IATA's Director-General, labeled the increase as "astonishing" and a self-inflicted hit to the UK's tourism competitiveness, especially with the upcoming increase in Air Passenger Duty in April. Advantage Travel Partnership's CEO, Julia Lo Bue-Said, voiced disappointment, stressing the importance of a strong incoming sector for outbound success.

🏖 Gabriele Burgio, CEO of Alpitour World, warns of Italy's unchecked tourist influx potentially distorting city identities. He opposes limiting visitor numbers or raising prices as it would make cities like Venice or Florence exclusive to wealthy tourists. Burgio suggests better scheduling like France's staggered school holidays and using price as a lever to encourage off-season travel, aided by technology.

🏦 Castello Sgr acquired Rome's Hotel dei Borgia, now Leonardo Boutique Hotel Rome Monti, managed by Leonardo Hotels Central Europe. The 4-star hotel has six floors, a basement, approximately 5,800 sqm, 80 rooms, and a 170 sqm wellness area. In the first three quarters of 2024, Italian hotel investments exceeded €1.3 billion, a 52% increase year-on-year. Michelangelo Ripamonti of Castello Sgr highlights the strategic collaboration with Leonardo Hotels and the potential for sector growth.

🍴 In Italy, hotel restaurants have been revitalizing, attracting local and international diners. Don Pasquale Restaurant at Rome's five-star Maalot Hotel, located near the Trevi Fountain, opened about three years ago by Shedir Collection. The restaurant, named after a famous opera by composer Gaetano Donizetti, offers a menu by executive chef Domenico Boschi that provides a gourmet take on traditional Roman dishes. The interior features Portuguese ceramic tables, and dishes are presented on Villeroy & Boch porcelain with Broggi 1818 cutlery.

🏥 In Milan, the 5-star Portrait boutique hotel, part of Lungarno Collection, connects Corso Venezia and Via Sant’Andrea in the largest square of the Fashion Quadrangle, featuring Antonia boutique and So-Le Studio. Areadocks in Brescia offers a full experience with 300 square meters of fashion, accessories, furniture consultation, bars, restaurants, a spa, and the unique opportunity to purchase design elements from the hotel rooms, blending vintage and contemporary. YellowSquare in Rome provides more than accommodation with on-site hair salon services offered by ContestaRockHair, an Italian brand established in 1996.

€ bear;𝧜 Hotel Capo d'Orso Thalasso & SPA, a 5-star establishment in Palau, joins The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) portfolio, boasting over 400 five-star properties in 80 countries. Delphina hotels & resorts' director general, Libero Muntoni, marks this as a milestone for the company and Northern Sardinia's development. The inclusion follows a multi-year million-euro investment, positioning it as the only locally owned and managed hotel in the prestigious collection in Northern Sardinia. The hotel's sustainable luxury philosophy, 100% local ownership, and authentic experiences align with LHW's commitment and aim to expand in strategic markets like the United States, Middle East, and Asia.