Fusioni & Acquisizioni

🏝 Italy's balance of payments on tourism recorded a surplus of €2.7 billion in September, slightly down from September 2023. Foreign travelers' spending in Italy remained stable at €5.8 billion, while Italian travelers' spending abroad increased by nearly 4% to €3.1 billion. In the third quarter of 2024, the surplus was €9.6 billion, approximately 0.4% of GDP, consistent with the previous year's same quarter. Spending by Italian travelers abroad and foreign tourists in Italy grew by around 1% and 3.5%, respectively, with European destinations seeing about a 6% increase in spending.

💸 ACI blueteam reports a 5% increase in turnover to €270 million in 2024. Key sectors: Corporate Travel at €180 million (+2.84%), MICE up by 27% to €26 million, Leisure Travel grew 20% reaching €25 million, and Fulfillment held steady at €39 million. Despite a contraction in the fashion segment (60% of corporate revenue), growth was achieved. Expansion plans for 2025 include new Exclusive brand stores and the RIDE project. Prestigious events like the G7 Tourism summit were hosted.

🏖 FIPE-Confcommercio analysis on Istat data shows a decrease in tourist presence by 2.9 million (-1.4%) in the third quarter compared to the previous year. International visitors increased by 2.8% but didn't fully offset the 5.5% drop in domestic tourism. The summer of 2024 marked the first time foreign presences (52.3%) surpassed Italian tourists (47.7%). 9.3 million fewer Italian tourist presences than in summer 2019 (-8.7%), nearly recovered by an 8.6 million (+8.8%) rise in international visitors over five years.

💰 Natfood, an Italian leader in hot and cold beverages with over 25,000 clients, has seen Gruppo Gimoka acquire a majority stake. The strategic growth initiated in 2021 is bolstered by this development. Natfood's management and organizational structure remain with GF Holding and the Lochis family retaining minority stakes. Giuseppe Lochis joins the new board, and Luciano Lochis continues as CEO. Natfood, with a 2024 annual turnover of €40 million, aims to enhance R&D and respond to market trends more effectively through this partnership. Deloitte Financial Advisory and ADR S.r.l. advised Gruppo Gimoka, while GF Holding and Luciano Lochis were supported by Baldi&Partners, GS Lex, and PPZ & Partners.

🍪 AIOST, founded in April 2023, surpassed objectives with training from September 2023, 150+ registrants in Campania and Abruzzo, and six masterclasses across Italy. The first certified oyster tasting experts will receive "pearls" on December 12, 2023, at Akademia Cucina & More, with the launch of the Guide to Perlati Restaurants and Oyster Farmers of Italy. In 2025, AIOST plans to expand courses to Lazio, Puglia, Sicily, and introduce a molecular study on oyster taste.

💸 HNH Hospitality recorded a turnover of €113 million in the fiscal year, an 8% increase from 2023. EBITDA Margin reached nearly 15%, with room occupancy growing from 73.5% in 2023 to 77% in 2024 and the average daily rate (ADR) for rooms increasing by 4% to €164.7. The company celebrated a strategic turning point in 2024, including the management contract for Palazzo delle Stelline in Milan, set to relaunch under the MGallery brand in 2026. Additionally, HNH Hospitality is entering hotel real estate with up to 25% minority stakes and maintaining full operational control. In 2025, the Group will expand with a new extended stay project in Verona, featuring 23 apartments. CEO Luca Boccato aims to surpass €120 million in turnover, consolidating market position and opening new prospects.

🏂 Trentino achieved its best winter season in the last decade, with over 7.685 million overnight stays, reaching 90% occupancy between Christmas and New Year. Foreign guests made up 45% of the total, predominantly from Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, England, and Belgium. The Dolomiti Superski and Skirama Dolomiti - Adamello Brenta offer over 1500 hotels and 480,000 beds. Notable developments for 2024 include a new 10-seat cable car at San Martino di Castrozza and a water reservoir for snowmaking at Pordoi.

🏖️ Loredana Arcangeli, General Manager of Originaltour, celebrates 35 years in the industry, having started with just four partners including Luciano Paparelli. Initially focusing on Red Sea diving trips, they expanded to Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, and began offering Oman tours 25 years ago. Originaltour became specialists in Oman, now featuring over 50 tented camps and leading in off-road tours, second only to a German operator. In 2024, they also saw success in Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Thailand, India, and a recovering Sri Lanka market. Arcangeli's daughter Elena continues the legacy, ensuring tailored, high-quality travel experiences.

🏕 Gruppo UNA announces the addition of UNAHOTELS One Catania to its franchising network of over 20 hotels in partnership with MHG Italy. The hotel, a requalification of the historic Hotel Villa del Bosco, is set to open in April 2025. Located in a residential area of Catania, it features 55 rooms and suites, a high-cuisine restaurant, Technogym-equipped gym, an 80-seat meeting room, and a 1,400 sqm Spa. The Spa is one of the largest urban wellness centers in Italy, offering two pools, hammam, Finnish sauna, emotional showers, and advanced aesthetic treatments by [Comfort Zone]. Giorgio Marchegiani, CEO of Gruppo UNA, highlights the growing urban spa market trend. Donald DeVivo, CEO of MHG Italy, aims to expand in Sicily and other key Italian destinations, converting meeting areas into wellness oases.

🍷 The Cabernet Franc Ampeleia, a pure varietal wine, represents the essence of the Tuscan winery, with 2021 vintage expressing minerality and berry notes. Grown at 500 meters altitude, the 2021 vintage received a 95 score from James Suckling and is limited to 10,000 bottles. The winery spans 120 hectares with 35 hectares of vineyard and offers immersive tourism experiences.