Fusioni & Acquisizioni

🚨 Italy-France connections disrupted: Monte Bianco road tunnel closure from September 2 to December 16 for maintenance. Frejus railway tunnel closed since August 27, 2023, due to a landslide, with restoration completion expected in March 2025. The Monte Bianco tunnel links Courmayeur, Italy, to Chamonix, France. Confindustria Piemonte President Andrea Amalberto highlights the impact on regional competitiveness and budget.

🛫 Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, criticized Lufthansa's acquisition of Ita, predicting higher fares for passengers, referencing past increases after Lufthansa's purchases of Austrian and Swiss airlines. O'Leary, speaking in Brussels, sees Ryanair benefiting from its lower fares in Italy, anticipating growth due to Ita's price hikes. He also mentioned that instead of Italian taxpayers, now Germans will cover Ita's losses. O'Leary scoffed at the idea that Ita could challenge Ryanair's dominance, stating they would need to cut prices by 70% to compete.

🛫 Islanda, Singapore, and Danimarca topped HelloSafe's 2024 safety ranking with Europe being the safest region. Norway, Finland, and Switzerland also made the top 10. Italy ranked 33rd among European countries. The Philippines, Colombia, Mexico, India, and Russia were listed among the least safe due to conflict, terrorism, and inadequate healthcare. In contrast, Paraguay, Uruguay, Trinidad and Tobago, and Bolivia stood out as safe in Latin America. Singapore, Bhutan, and Mongolia were recognized for safety in Southeast Asia, while Kenya and South Africa showed progress in Africa. UAE and Oman were noted for stability in the Middle East. HelloSafe assesses safety on crime, terrorism, political stability, natural disasters, and healthcare quality. Iceland scored 18.23, Philippines at 82.32, and Italy at 34.74 on a scale of 100.

🏖️ GlobalData reports a 10.4% annual decline in travel and tourism M&A deals, with 415 announced from January to July 2024, down from 463 in the same period of 2023. South America saw a 42% drop, North America 30%, and Asia 16%. Europe counters the trend with a 16.8% increase, led by Germany and the UK. MSC Group's acquisition of 50% of Italo for €4.2 billion is a standout deal. Italy's hotel real estate market remains resilient, with transactions exceeding €1.4 billion.

🛰 The Italian aircraft carrier "Giuseppe Garibaldi," decommissioned after service since 1985, measuring 180 meters in length and 30 meters wide with a displacement of 14,000 tonnes, is the subject of contention between Taranto and Genoa. Taranto aimed to convert it into a floating athletes' village for the Mediterranean Games, but the Navy considered reactivating it as a satellite launch base. Recently, the Centro Studi Bono announced its transformation into a floating museum to be located in Genoa, despite Taranto's hopes to boost tourism.

📚 Circa 5 milioni di studenti italiani parteciperanno ad almeno una gita nel prossimo anno scolastico, con un giro d'affari di oltre 1 miliardo e mezzo di euro, +3%. Didatour rivela che il 49% delle scuole elementari, 77% delle medie e 59% dei licei organizzeranno visite di più giorni. L'89% degli insegnanti sceglierà l'Italia, 11% l'estero, in aumento dall'8% precedente. Città d'arte 25%, soggiorni durano due notti fino a 12 anni e 3-4 giorni per superiori, principalmente tra marzo e maggio. Alloggi in hotel 3 stelle o villaggi turistici e strutture religiose, spesa media 300€, costi trasporto in aumento. Secondarie (62%) più inclini a usare piattaforme specializzate o agenzie di viaggio rispetto alle primarie.

🚂 Ouigo, the railway company, adjusts its strategy in Spain, scaling back operations in the north and focusing on expansion into Andalusia. The Madrid-Segovia-Valladolid line will run only on weekends between September 9 and December 13. A new route from Valladolid to Valencia via Segovia and Madrid launches in December, with sales starting in October and service running daily from December 15 until at least June of the following year.

🚀 Marconi di Bologna airport is facing a difficult period due to increased air traffic after COVID-19, reaching a historic high this summer and undergoing peak expansion and redevelopment works from a €200 million investment as part of a masterplan updated for 2026. The airport, dating back to the 1980s within the city, is the seventh busiest for passenger traffic (10 million in 2023) and third for cargo. Current plans aim for 12.5 million users by 2030, with high-speed rail access in seven minutes. In July, passenger numbers exceeded 1.1 million, and in June, they hit one million (+10% from the previous year). Meanwhile, other Emilia airports, Parma, Forlì, and Rimini, struggle to keep up.

📈 Italo and Snav, in an ongoing initiative since June and lasting until the end of the year, have joined brands for enhanced service. Italo trains, connecting major Italian cities including port cities like Naples, feature Snav ferry representations on their sides. Likewise, Snav vessels showcase Italo trains on their liveries. Italo's network includes Italobus for extended coverage with integrated tickets. Snav operates fast vessels connecting Naples to Capri, Ischia, Procida, the Aeolian (Stromboli, Panarea, Salina, Vulcano, Lipari) and Pontine Islands (Ventotene, Ponza), and Ancona to Spalato.

🚀 Great Raul Journeys incorporated its 'twin' brand Rail Discoveries into the main portfolio, now referred to simply as Discoveries on their principal website. This change, reported by ttgmedia.com, will not affect the brand's operations or partner activities, ensuring no interruptions in bookings or existing itineraries. The process began in 2022 with a redesign of logos, marking a new phase for the company.