Giuridico e Amministrativo

🏖 Aefi joined the 'Patto per il turismo' initiated by the Italian Ministry of Tourism during the second edition of the International Tourism Forum. Loredana Sarti, the association's general secretary, represented President Maurizio Danese to sign the pact, aiming to outline a common path of shared actions to boost the growth of Italy's tourism industry.

🔥 In Turchia, 76 victims confirmed in a hotel fire at Grand Kartal on Monday; it took 10 hours to extinguish. National mourning declared. Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated the hotel had operational approval for 2021-2024. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya assured swift investigations, promising accountability. Nine arrests made, including the hotel owner.

🏖 The Milleproroghe decree is extending several measures into 2025, impacting tourism, particularly for communities within the Apennine mountain range. A fund is provided for businesses affected by reduced snowfall from November 2023 to March 2024, requiring a revenue decrease of at least 30% compared to the previous year. Beneficiaries include lift operators, rental services, ski instructors, travel agencies, tour operators, thermal bath establishments, and hospitality and restaurant businesses. The decree extends a 50% subsidy on expenditures for energy efficiency and seismic retrofitting of tourism-related structures until 31 October 2025. Simplified procedures for installing photovoltaic systems in tourism and thermal facilities are prolonged until 31 December 2025. Additionally, the deadline for private sector employers to sign fixed-term contracts beyond 12 months and for businesses to secure catastrophic risk insurance contracts is extended to 31 March 2025.

✈ Starting January 1st, European airports enforced a mandate requiring 2% of refueling to be with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Iberia, with corporate director Juan Cierco, expresses concerns on preferente.com about EU's stringent requirements compared to other regions, warning that this could lead to higher flying costs and potentially threaten Spanish tourism without investment in SAF production.

🚨 National railway strike in Italy involving Gruppo FS, Trenitalia, Trenitalia Tper, and Trenord scheduled from 21:00 on Saturday, January 25 to 20:59 on Sunday, January 26, 2025, announced by independent unions Cub and Usb. Trenitalia warns of possible train cancellations or schedule changes. Passengers can request refunds or rearrange travel plans due to the strike. Details on long-distance service guarantees and updates available on Trenitalia’s app and website, as well as Trenord's platforms. Trenitalia provides assistance through the toll-free number 800 89 20 21.

✈ The Sicilian Region extended their flight price subsidy throughout 2025, granting a 25% reimbursement on ticket prices for flights to and from Rome Fiumicino, Rome Ciampino, Milan Linate, Milan Bergamo Orio al Serio, and Milan for Sicilian residents. An additional 25% is offered to residents earning less than €9,360 annually, students, and the disabled (with at least 67% disability). Reimbursement is valid for single leg ticket prices above €50, with a 30-day post-flight claim period.

📍 easyJet expands summer 2025 offerings with 3 new routes from Milan Malpensa and Naples, launching Milan Malpensa-Biarritz on June 23 (Mondays and Fridays), Milan Malpensa-Thessaloniki on June 25 (Wednesdays and Sundays), and Naples-Fuerteventura also starting June 25 (Wednesdays). This brings total new summer routes to 34, across 18 Italian airports, with over 250 connections.

🌊 Lagoa Azul in Alagos, dubbed the 'Brazilian Caribbean,' is closed to tourists by federal court order, rescinding a 2022 municipal decree that allowed visits. The closure is to protect biodiversity and coral reefs, as tourism threatened environmental standards. Previously, visits were limited to a maximum of 3 catamarans and 40 motorboats, with diving and photography services.

✈ Alitalia, also known as Società Aerea Italiana, officially ended its operations, with Ita Airways acquiring the brand. The historic Italian airline, which went bankrupt in 2017, has been dismantled between autumn 2021 and 2024. Key sales include the brand to Ita for €90 million, Swissport's acquisition of handling at Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate for €14 million, Trenitalia purchasing the MilleMiglia program for €1.5 million, and Atitech taking over maintenance for €380,000.

🛫 Spanish travel agents are protesting the new 'booking registry', effective with a decree by the Ministry of the Interior, which mandates registration and information duties for lodging and vehicle rental businesses. A massive protest was organized at Turespana's Fitur stand in Madrid, where industry associations presented a manifesto to Ana Muñoz, Director General for Tourism Policy, arguing the measure doesn't exclude travel agencies and tour operators as requested. They claim this unique regulation affects competitiveness as some travelers are unwilling to provide all data at booking.