Fusioni & Acquisizioni

🍕 Baccanale 2024, an annual food culture event, kicks off on October 19 and runs until November 10 in Imola, Italy, featuring "Un filo d’olio" (A Thread of Oil) as its theme. The opening ceremony, with Mayor Marco Panieri and other officials, starts at 17:00 at Teatro Ebe Stignani. Esteemed Professor Massimo Montanari delivers a lecture on the historical and cultural significance of olive oil. The following day, historian Alessandro Barbero joins Montanari to discuss "Food and Society in the Middle Ages." Sponsors such as Gruppo Eurovo, Frantoio Valsanterno, and others support the event, alongside endorsements from cultural and regional institutions.

🍴 The historic Hotel d'Inghilterra Roma – Starhotels Collezione reopens its Cafè Romano after a major renovation that merges the space with the lobby. Executive Chef Andrea Sangiuliano, with experience at Hotel de Russie and Hotel Beau Rivage, leads the kitchen, offering seasonal and traditional Roman cuisine. The menu features classics with a modern twist and emphasizes fresh, local ingredients, partnering with KM Lazio producers. Pastry Chef Edoardo Volpe, formerly of Cova Pasticceria Montenapoleone in Paris, enhances the experience with contemporary desserts. The Cafè Romano Lounge Bar, led by Head Barman Angelo di Giorgi, provides a mixology experience with a new cocktail menu. General Manager Massimo Colli aspires to a unique hospitality experience in the heart of Rome.

📍 Gnv opened sales for summer 2025, earlier than previous years due to trade requests. Matteo Della Valle, chief passengers commercial officer at Gnv, highlights the move to meet intermediary needs, offering benefits for clients. The expanded offerings include destinations like Sardinia, Sicily, Morocco, Tunisia, Balearic Islands, and Albania, supported by new ships. The company anticipates a significant year in 2025 with fleet renewal and a focus on Italian tourism trends. Gnv commits to customer safety, 24/7 assistance, and intensified maintenance to minimize disruptions.

🏖️ In July, Italy's tourism balance of payments showed a surplus of €4.1 billion, consistent with July 2023. Foreign travelers spent €7.5 billion in Italy, up 1%, while Italian travelers abroad spent €3.3 billion, up 4%. From January to July 2024, tourism revenues and expenditures both increased by 9.6% over the same period in 2023. EU tourists' spending in Italy rose by 13%, while Italian spending abroad grew by 7% in EU destinations and 6% in non-EU destinations. (Source: www.bancaditalia.it)

🍷 Cantine Astroni hosts wine education courses in Campi Flegrei, the former Bourbon hunting reserve. Courses spanning end-2024 to 2025 include "Wine Meridian - WTH Academy Advanced," starting November 19, focusing on enotourism, and two WSET Level 2 sessions on October 28-30 and January 20-22, 2025. The advanced WSET Level 3 Award in Wines runs from June 23-30, 2025. "Good Sense" on January 13-14, 2025, trains Qualified Sensory Judges. Contact Cantine Astroni at info@cantineastroni.com or 350.1690363 for registration.

🏨 BWH Hotels Italia & Malta gears up for the last quarter of 2024 after a successful 2023 with a revenue of €365 million, 4.5 million guests, and 3 million roomnights. In the first nine months of 2024, the RevPar increased by 2.5%. The group added 14 new affiliations, expanding its total offering to 817 rooms. Key properties include BW Premier Hotel Malta in Qawra, Best Western Hotel Green City in Parma, and Muraless Art Hotel WorldHotels Crafted in Verona. CEO Sara Digiesi focuses on value addition and an upper-upscale segment through WorldHotels.

🏠 Founded in 1870, the Grand Hotel Parker's in Naples, the city's oldest hotel, joined Autentico Hotels, bringing their total to 20 properties. CEO Mario Cardone aims for 25 family-owned properties by 2025, the company's 10th anniversary. The Michelin-starred George Restaurant within the hotel boasts two stars. Autentico Hotels plans expansion to Sicily, Como, and the Langhe region. They engage with over 13,000 travel professionals and annually reach 1000 travel agencies in 25 countries to cater to high-spending international clientele.

📈 Gruppo Bauli celebrated the 28-year anniversary of saving the mother yeast "Futura" during a fire at the Castel D’Azzano facility on October 9, 1996, with the short film "1996 – La fabbrica sta bruciando" by Pietro Castellitto. Premiered on October 8 at UCI Cinemas in Verona to employees and press, the film is part of the campaign "Futura – La magia più attesa" and is available in 30 and 60-second trailers on digital platforms, TV, and cinema. The film is rooted in the brand's heritage, highlighting the Futura yeast as a symbol of enduring tradition and the company's soft, fragrant products, a process unchanged for over a century.

🚀 Renfe, the Spanish railway company, acquired a stake in Longitude (Arena group's holding) and plans to expand throughout Italy. Arenaways' first train will depart from Cuneo station, serving the Cuneo-Saluzzo-Savigliano line. By 2034, Arenaways aims to reach 350,000 passengers within ten years. Additionally, Arenaways intends to increase train frequencies and cover tourist routes including Novara-Varallo Sesia, Alessandria-Ovada, and Santhià-Arona.

✈ London City Airport turns a profit for the first time since the 2020 tourism crisis, reporting a positive gain of £6.6 million in 2023. After losses of £48 million in 2020, £45.5 million in 2021, and £1.1 million in 2022, the airport saw a revenue increase of over 20% to £102.6 million in 2023, with passenger traffic rising to 3.4 million from 2.9 million. However, this is still below the 2019 profit of £47.8 million.