Fusioni & Acquisizioni

🏖 Preferred Hotels & Resorts announces 24 new affiliations including three in Italy, across Val d'Aosta, Piemonte, and Toscana. Grand Hotel Courmayeur Mont Blanc joins the L.V.X. Collection with 72 rooms and suites, featuring a 460 sqm spa. Castello dal Pozzo Resort in Piemonte, part of the Lifestyle Collection, boasts 46 rooms with Lake Maggiore views. Hotel Number Nine in Florence offers 40 locally-inspired rooms. The group spans 14 countries, enhancing the global portfolio of luxury independent hotels.

🍲 Probios, a Tuscan company with 46 years in the food sector, introduces five new quick-to-prepare, flavorful, time-saving soups ready in just 15 minutes. The line includes Protein Soup, rich in legumes and fibers, and Keto Soup with only 49 calories per 100 grams of cooked product, grain-free and suitable for low-carb diets. Additionally, the quick-cooking organic soups—Tradizione, Mediterranea, and Quattro Stagioni—combine cereals and legumes, catering to the taste of authenticity and wellness. Probios, established in 1978 and located in Calenzano near Florence, operates in 47 countries and recently acquired Biotobio in July 2024.

🍕 Orange Capital Development Srl acquires 100% of GELIT Srl, frozen ready meals market leader, from Consilium sgr SpA, Progressio sgr SpA, and MMM Srl via Wealth Venture Fund SICAR SA. GELIT forecasts €72 million revenue and €13 million EBITDA for 2024, aiming at €130 million in 5 years. Established in 1977, headquartered in Cisterna di Latina, GELIT is a B Corp certified Benefit company, now targeting growth in U.S., European, and Asian markets under Orange Capital, led by Davide Salvatore.

✈ Lufthansa will take over Ita Airways in January, with an initial 41% stake valued at €325 million, potentially reaching 90% by end of 2025. The European Commission approved the deal. Next steps include a shareholders' meeting, capital increase, and the appointment of a new board with two Lufthansa representatives, leading to a new president from Italy's Ministry of Economy and Finance and a CEO endorsed by Lufthansa.

🛫 Air France-KLM is in talks for an investment in Air Europa, controlled 80% by the Hidalgo family. The investment could be for up to 20% of the capital, mirroring the strategy used with SAS to avoid lengthy EU Commission approval times. The exact investment figure remains undisclosed but is suggested to exceed €100 million, the amount previously invested by IAG for their 20% stake. Air France-KLM confirmed ongoing commercial discussions.

📍 La famiglia Hidalgo ha investito 65 milioni di euro in Air Europa per salvare la compagnia, anticipando la decisione di IAG, secondo azionista. Nel 2023, Air Europa ha registrato utili per 165 milioni di euro ma un patrimonio netto consolidato negativo di 455,3 milioni di euro e debiti superiori a 600 milioni di euro. Il salvataggio statale di 475 milioni deve essere rimborsato entro il 2026.

📆 Ávoris, a Spanish group, is downsizing by discontinuing its tour operator Joliday and transferring its activities to Travelplan. Joliday offered trips to the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Cuba, including flights and local experiences. This move is part of a reorganization strategy to streamline the brand portfolio while strengthening Travelplan.

📅 Acqua S. Lucia, established in 1895 and set to celebrate its 130th anniversary in 2025, joins ALB Spa, producer of the internationally awarded Acqua Smeraldina. The mineral water brand from Santa Lucia's Fontana Sansa, explored in 1919 and commercialized since 1927, continues its legacy in Bonorva (SS) after ALB Spa's acquisition. The water's effervescence is attributed to the region's carbonic acid-rich mineral springs. ????

🏡 Lupaia, a luxury relais with 12 rooms set in the hills of Turrita di Siena, has joined the Autentico Hotels brand as its fifth location in the region. Celebrated at the DUCO Travel Summit 2024, Lupaia garnered the Most Charming Hotel in Italy award and the Michelin Key, highlighting exceptional hospitality. Opened in 2016 by Austrians Heidi and Christopher Mueller, the hotel's rooms feature stone fireplaces, vintage washbasins, and private gardens. Mario Cardone, CEO of Autentico Hospitality, expressed pride in adding Lupaia to their 20-property collection.

🏆 Switzerland focuses on the Italian market with tourism initiatives, including an ice skating rink in Milan and a promotional event at Rinascente in Rome. Italy ranks as Switzerland's fifth-largest market, aiming to promote the winter season, which is vital for tourism. Christina Glaeser, the Director for Italy of Switzerland Tourism, highlights the successful autumn in 2024. The average Swiss visitor from Italy is 45 years old, with one-third traveling with family.