Giuridico e Amministrativo

📋 Launched in 2023 in Brussels, Kiklegal is a web platform aiding class action lawsuits, now serving major markets including Italy, France, and the UK. It boasts 9 lawyers managing 7 class actions for 8,300 people. Noteworthy is a major dispute involving Brussels Airport, 110,000 residents, and 4 municipalities. The platform simplifies bureaucratic procedures and communication, providing transparency and media exposure for legal battles.

📖 The Italian government approved a bill to increase transparency in online reviews, particularly for hotels and restaurants, combating fake and paid reviews. Reviewers must provide identity verification and prove real presence at the location. Online reviews influence 82% of accommodation bookings and 70% of restaurant choices. TripAdvisor's 2022 data revealed 1.3 million (4.3%) of 30.2 million reviews were fraudulent. The bill also allows businesses to remove outdated or misleading reviews and prohibits buying or selling reviews. Implementation and verification mechanisms remain to be clarified.

🏠 Federalberghi Torino now supports private or entrepreneurially organized apartment owners offering short-term tourist rentals. The association provides property managers with consultancy, bureaucratic support, and other services to comply with regulations like the CIR (Codice Identificativo Regionale) and CIN (Codice Identificativo Nazionale), guest identification, smoke detectors, extinguishers, and tourist tax compliance. President Fabio Borio emphasizes the need for quality enhancement in tourist accommodations, while Lavinia Fanari highlights the win-win collaboration for improving tourist services.

💸 In Italy, Airbnb hosts preparing for tax declarations in 2025 must understand the "cedolare secca" flat tax rate: 21% for one property and 26% for multiple properties. This option, excluding IMU and income surcharges, simplifies tax filing. Eligibility requires the property to be residential, rented short-term, and not considered a professional activity. From 2025, Airbnb will withhold and remit taxes on hosts' behalf. Hosts must still keep accurate records, including deductible expenses. Non-compliance with new regulations, such as displaying the National Identification Code (CIN) on properties, can lead to fines.

📌 In Firenze, Francesco Casini condemns the committee 'Salviamo Firenze' for applying anti key box stickers throughout the city. Jacopo Vicini, the Tourism Councilor, emphasizes the need for balance between residents, workers, and visitors, without waging war on short-term rentals. Lorenzo Fagnoni, CEO of Appartaments Florence, denounces actions that harm entrepreneurs and foster a climate of prejudice and hate, affecting thousands employed in essential services.

🚀 Wizz Air discontinued its premium-rate call center number on January 21, aiming to reduce additional costs for consumers. The airline encourages passengers to use its online self-service platform for managing bookings, obtaining flight information, and handling issues regarding delays or cancellations. Wizz Air provides 24/7 assistance through an online chatbot, Amelia, and live chat support in English and, from Monday to Friday (9 am-6 pm), in Italian and German in Italy and Germany.

✈️ Air Astana to launch Almaty-Guangzhou service starting March 30, 2025. Flights will operate thrice weekly—Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays—departing Almaty at 20:50 and arriving in Guangzhou at 05:45 the next day. Return flights leave Guangzhou at 06:50, arriving in Almaty at 10:20 local time. The airline's expansion in China is a significant step, building on over 20 years of service, including seven weekly flights to Beijing and four to Urumqi.

✈ Volotea to increase seats for sale from Naples by 18% in 2025, reaching 621,000 compared to 525,000 in 2024. Flights will rise from 3,115 to 3,571, serving 22 destinations across Italy, Croatia, France, Greece, Spain, and Denmark. Starting July 6, a new international flight to Marseille from Salerno will launch. In 2024, Volotea employed up to 58 employees at its Capodichino base. The expansion aims to support economic and tourist growth in Campania.

🚢 Nizza's Mayor, Christian Estrosi, plans to ban cruise ships with more than 900 passengers from docking at the French port starting next summer. The policy targets ships over 190 meters, potentially impacting the 124 cruise ships scheduled to visit Nizza in 2025. This move is expected to reduce cruise passenger arrivals by 70%, as Estrosi criticizes these "floating hotels" for pollution and low-cost tourism that doesn't contribute economically. Upcoming legislation could disrupt ship itineraries planned years in advance.

📰 China is set to welcome visitors with memorable experiences in the new year. Laura Grassi from Chinasia by Idee per Viaggiare offers nine itineraries, including visits to the panda homeland in Chengdu and Silk Road tours. Chen Jianyang of the Chinese National Tourist Office in Italy anticipates a positive 2024 and promising tourism in 2025. Visa-free entry for trips up to 30 days has been introduced to promote travel. Air China facilitates direct flights from Rome and Milan to Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu.