Giuridico e Amministrativo

📌 In a landmark tourism-related ruling, the Naples Justice of the Peace issued sentence number 21842 in 2024, condemning a Neapolitan travel agency and tour operator. A Neapolitan family, after facing severe inconveniences during a summer vacation stay in Calabria—including a dirty room, a broken bathroom door, a cracked toilet seat, and a faulty hairdryer—abandoned their holiday. They legally sought compensation for both material damages and psychological distress. The judge upheld the right to compensation for a ruined vacation, covering both economic loss and mental suffering, asserting that tourists need not prove their psychological state to claim damages.

🛒 Italy's Council of Ministers is considering a measure today to outlaw the sale and manipulation of online reviews. Drafted by the Ministry for Enterprises and Made in Italy within the annual bill for SMEs, the law will ban the purchase, sale, or incentive-driven manipulation of reviews. Consumers will have to verify their identity and confirm that they have used the reviewed service within 15 days. Reviews must be detailed and accurate, or businesses can request removal or publicly respond. Obsolete reviews can be deleted after two years or if issues reported are resolved.

🏖️ Filcams Cgil, Fisascat Cisl, and Uiltucs, alongside Aica and Federturismo Confindustria, signed a new national tourism industry contract, effective for three years from January 1, 2025. The deal introduces a €200 salary increase over four installments, five for travel agencies and tour operators, including a one-off €450 payment, €320 for travel companies. Measures also address service outsourcing, ensuring adherence to national sector agreements, and include provisions for service internalization. Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanchè highlights additional government measures, like the tax exemption increase on tips from 25% to 30% and the income threshold from €50,000 to €75,000, plus a special supplement for night and overtime work. Vice President of the Senate Gian Marco Centinaio emphasizes the contract's role in enhancing salaries, guarantees for workers, particularly women and parents, and fostering local contracts.

🏖 The Fontana di Trevi reopened with a cap of 400 visitors at a time after maintenance, aligning with the Jubilee year. The water flow resumed in the iconic Roman monument. Visiting hours are from 9 am to 9 pm daily with stewards, and unrestricted post-9 pm. Restrictions include no eating, smoking, drinking, or sitting on the edge. Visits are currently free, with potential future fees.

🚉 Electrical fault disrupted train service on Bari-Pescara line, causing delays up to 230 minutes for High Speed, Intercity, and Regional trains. Additional cancellations and route limitations were reported. Technical issues also affected the Tyrrhenian side on the Salerno-Paola line between Pisciotta and Vallo della Lucania. Services are gradually returning to normal, with trains operating at reduced speeds as a precaution.

🏠 75% of National Identification Codes (CIN) issued for the 563,000 properties registered on the tourism database by January 1. Italian Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanchè, satisfied with the 4-month achievement aligning national and regional databases ahead of the PNRR target.

✈ IATA highlights airports' inability to meet rising traveler and airline demands, necessitating capacity expansion. A white paper by IATA proposes regulatory changes to push airports to maximize existing infrastructure capacity. Nick Careen of IATA urges for construction to address insufficient capacity but notes political challenges. IATA calls for regulations for airports to periodically review capacity statements, improve capacity where possible, and face consequences for failed delivery.

🛫 The Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) has approved the fourth proposal for the revision of the Directive on package travel, shifting focus to the European Parliament. Italian associations representing the distribution sector call for the rewriting of Article 12, which governs withdrawal due to exceptional and unforeseeable circumstances. AIAV, AIDIT, Assoviaggi Confesercenti, FIAVET Confcommercio, and MAAVI warn that the current wording could lead to numerous disputes harming organized tourism. They advocate for a balance of interests and suggest the option of offering vouchers or monetary refunds, a practice that proved beneficial during COVID, to protect both operators and consumers.

❄ Emilio De Risi reflects on past events and industry changes in the "21 Grammi di Turismo" Christmas special. On November 5, 2008, he attended the IAB Forum with over a thousand participants, the day after Barack Obama's election, where the Internet's role in Obama's victory was highlighted. Emilio organized web and tourism conferences, bringing in companies like Google and MailUp, and witnessing shifts such as the initial hostility towards TripAdvisor from hoteliers, which has since diminished. Looking back, he considers the evolution and current state of technology and its communication, suggesting that past insights might inform present innovations. ????

📌 The mandatory requirement for companies to have insurance coverage against catastrophic climate events in Italy was initially set for 31/12/2024, but has been postponed to 31/3/2025 as per the Milleproroghe decree. Matteo Maria Rossi from Borghini e Cossa, in association with the Consorzio brokers italiani, recommends businesses wait for clear regulations before considering market proposals, emphasizing the importance of professional advice for long-term interest protection. Existing policies for catastrophic events need not be immediately replaced or modified, allowing compliance at the next renewal or opportune moment.