Giuridico e Amministrativo

📌 After the US administration's order to tighten immigration checks under Trump, at least three German tourists and a French researcher were detained for two weeks, and a Welsh woman for 19 days with leg chains and handcuffs. Consequently, Germany updated its travel advisory on Wednesday, the UK revised travel recommendations, and travelers from Finland and Denmark were advised to contact the US embassy if passport sex does not match birth sex. Flight Centre Canada reported a 23% decline in Canadian tourists to the US in February and cancellations in favor of other destinations. Oxford Economics predicts a negative tourism growth of -9%, a 14% downturn from the initial 5% growth projection for 2025, potentially leading to a $64 billion loss.

🚀 Enac President Pierluigi Di Palma on March 24 cited an economic benefit of €834,000 for airport operators from reduced costs for airport badge issuance since the start of the year. The cost was lowered to €2 per badge; previously, badges averaged €50 each. Since February 20, the badge issuance became free for operators with 19,040 badge requests processed, leading to the significant savings for airport operators.

🏗️ Alessandro Onorato, Rome's Tourism Councillor, confirms the diversification of tourism with the "Unexpected Itineraries" project. The initiative includes new flowerbeds, updated tourist signage, a bilingual app (Unexpected.it Rome), and enhanced lighting at the Roman Aquarium for improved accessibility and safety. The project aims to make tourism more sustainable, spotlighting often overlooked historical areas, and to redistribute tourist flows, currently concentrated in the city center.

✈ British Airways resumes daily flights from London Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur starting April 2. The announcement was made by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd and reported by travelmole.com. Initially planned for late last year, the restart was delayed due to engine issues with the Dreamliner aircraft. The route has been inactive since 2021 due to the pandemic.

🚢 In Ferrara, an association was fined for illegally selling travel packages to non-members, as revealed by the local police investigations following a report by the National Association of Travel Agents. Offering mountain and Croatia trips to both members and non-members, with prices ranging from €99 to €129, the association violated regional laws prohibiting unlicensed travel organization. Ferrara Today reports a cessation order and a €1,000 fine against the association.

🤑 During 2019-2024, Tax Free Shopping increased by 8.5%, and Luxury Shopping grew by 5%. Stefano Rizzi and Denise Bolandrina from Global Blue noted that the rebound in travel led to increased personal spending. Despite inflation, 46% of high spenders felt unaffected due to Tax Free Shopping benefits. Europe saw a consistent 16% growth, while the Asia Pacific spiked by 127% in H1 compared to 2019. Italy, the top European shopping destination in 2024, experienced a 15% increase in Tax Free expenditure, attracting 25% American and 10% Arab shoppers. Ready-to-wear dominated with a 34% share, a 12% growth, and an average spend of €1,200, while watches surged by 32%. Tax Free Shopping is evolving towards a diverse spend, now including luxury, premium, and lifestyle brands, up by 39%.

🟢 Myanmar and Thailand were hit by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake, with an epicenter 16 km northwest of Saigang, Myanmar. A subsequent 6.4 magnitude aftershock was also felt. The quake caused a skyscraper under construction to collapse in Bangkok, and dozens are missing. No casualties have been reported yet, but thousands are estimated to be under the rubble. Airports in Naypyitaw, Mandalay, and Yangon are closed, while Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok remains operational. Italian nationals are not reported to be involved, but checks are ongoing, and emergency contact numbers are provided.

✈ American Airlines reconnects Italy and the United States, resuming daily flights to Dallas since March 6 and reintroducing daily connections to New York, Chicago, and Charlotte from March 31. A historic milestone will be reached on June 6 with the inauguration of daily flights between Leonardo da Vinci Airport and Miami International Airport, bringing the total to six U.S. hubs linked to Fiumicino. Vice President José Freig expresses enthusiasm for the record-setting connections to Rome, a highly demanded destination in their global network. Adr's Ivan Bassato anticipates new records in transatlantic traffic for summer 2025, highlighting the significance of the Rome-Miami direct flight and Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Airport as a major hub for North American flights.

🏖 Tatiana Sedlovska, co-founder of GTS Group, criticizes the EU's new directive on travel packages, highlighting a limit on down payments to 25%, with providers often requiring 100% upfront. Concerns also include mandatory trusts for down payments, penalty-free cancellation rights based on simple travel warnings, and fines up to 4% of turnover, posing a heavy burden on companies with narrow profit margins.

🏦 Avoris aims to generate over 50% of its EBITDA outside Spain, up from the current 20%. They are focusing on North Africa and Europe, planning expansions to Morocco and Mexico. They recently renewed a partnership with Cvc, a major Latin American travel consortium, and have opened in the Italian market. The company is also launching operations in France, Romania, Bulgaria, and plans to enter Mexico and the Moroccan market by 2025 under Ávoris. Additionally, they've invested in Travel.land for entry into Iceland and are rationalizing Caribbean brands with a potential merger under Travelplan.