Giuridico e Amministrativo

🟢 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.

🌊 A tourist submarine, Sindbad, sank this morning in the Red Sea near Hurghada. Onboard were 45 Russian tourists. The incident resulted in 6 deaths, at least 9 injured, and 4 in critical condition; others were rescued without serious harm. Causes remain unclear.

🏖️ In Barcelona, the doubling of tourist taxes could make families pay up to €100 more for a three-night stay. According to preferente.com, the Catalan law allows municipalities to add a surcharge, which in Barcelona's case, was set to €4 per person per night last autumn. The debate is ongoing regarding the allocation of these tax revenues, which legally must be used for promotion, though some parties argue for mitigating tourism's negative effects.

🍪 Nonno Nanni, a Venetian company and leader in fresh cheese production in Italy for over 75 years, is catering to modern consumer needs by introducing two new products: 150g Ciliegine di mozzarella and a new 3x125g mozzarella tris format. These additions aim to enhance the dining experience of more than 1.5 million Italian families and respond to high-consuming families requiring larger product sizes. The new Ciliegine comes in an innovative cookie packaging, emphasizing quality, freshness, protein content, and natural ingredients without preservatives. The updated mozzarella tris format replaces the previous 3x100g version, reflecting market demands for greater quantity without compromising on the artisanal process and cheese-making tradition Nonno Nanni is known for. President Silvia Lazzarin highlights the company's commitment to quality and innovation, ensuring a range of fresh, high-quality products that combine tradition and modernity.

🍷 The Consorzio Morellino di Scansano has introduced a new "Superiore" designation to its DOCG, featuring stricter production criteria, at least 85% Sangiovese grapes, and a minimum 13% alcohol content. The "Superiore" can be sold from January 1st of the second year after harvest. Other updates include a 90% minimum Sangiovese for "Riserva" and reduced yields for both "Superiore" and "Riserva". These modifications are pending approval and aim to enhance the quality and reputation of Morellino di Scansano wines. The wines will be showcased at Vinitaly in Verona, April 6-9, 2025, Hall 9 Stand B17.

🏠 Armani Hotel Milano joined the Legend Collection of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, a collaboration between Giorgio Armani S.p.A. and Emaar Properties, located in Milan's fashion district within the historic Manzoni 31 building. The hotel features 95 rooms, Lifestyle Managers, access to Armani/Ristorante, Armani/SPA with panoramic views, six treatment rooms, couple’s suite, and a relaxation pool. Guests can join the I Prefer Hotel Rewards loyalty program with over 5 million global members.

📅 Before Easter, the Viminale will admit additional systems for recognizing short-term rental customers, supplementing in-person identification. The meeting with Minister Piantedosi, category representatives Aigo, Aigab, and platforms Airbnb, Booking and Expedia, led to the announcement by Aigab President Marco Celani of a new directive to integrate the one from November 18, detailing various technological tools. Biometric readers and OTP codes are considered for self check-in. The sector's struggle with the Viminale began after the November decision requiring in-person recognition. Short-term rentals in Italy have a market value of €66 billion, with a €10 billion increase from 2023, although listings dropped by 11% to 66,660 in March from 75,000 in January. Florence saw a 20% decrease. The Cin introduction affected listings; out of 612,758 registered properties, only 85% (520,848) were compliant, mirroring the decrease in listings.