Iniziativa eco-responsabile e CSR

???? 🌍 In Norway, the 'Sustainable Destination Label' program boosted Italian overnight stays by 20% in 2023/2024, reaching a record 12.4 million international overnights, a 12% increase from 2023. The program, spread across 50 national attractions meeting Visit Norway's ecological criteria, evenly distributed tourist arrivals throughout the year. Marco Bertolini of Visit Norway highlighted the success at the Nordic Workshop in Milan, noting the shift towards lesser-known locations like the southern coastal region of Vestfold and the UNESCO-recognized wooden house valley of Setesdal. Nearly half of the 'Sustainable Destinations' are in the north beyond Bødo and Narvik, with Bødo named European Capital of Culture 2024, attracting visitors to innovations like the Wood Hotel Bødo and silent e-boat fjord tours by Brim Explorer.

🕜 Daylight saving time resumes between Saturday night and Sunday in Italy, clocks will be turned one hour ahead, from 2 am to 3 am, on the night of March 28-29, 2025, lasting until October 25-26, 2025. This measure aims at energy saving by reducing the use of electric lighting, as reported by Genova Today. Despite the European Parliament's vote to end it, Italy chose to maintain the time change, allowing EU member states to decide individually.

✈ At the Brussels Aviation Summit, CEOs of Ryanair, IAG, Lufthansa, and Air France-KLM criticized the EU's ReFuel legislation for failing to ensure market conditions for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). A report by Boston Consulting Group forecasts up to a 45% SAF supply shortage and 30% biofuel shortage by 2030. Airlines are mandated to use a 2% SAF quota by 2025, rising to 6% by 2030, aiming for 70% by 2050. IATA predicts a $3.8 billion increase in SAF costs for 2023, double the $1.7 billion in 2024 for 1 million tonnes of SAF.

🏦 Egnazia Ospitalità Italiana, founded by Aldo Melpignano, ranked among the top 15 companies for 500-999 employees in the Best Workplaces™ Italia 2025. This ranking, by Great Place To Work®, assessed workplace environment, engagement, and satisfaction. Egnazia's strategy focuses on people-centered policies, ensuring a positive work experience across all demographics, emphasizing trust, fairness, and cohesion to foster a strong company culture. The company prioritizes talent development, inclusion, and equity.

🌏 Leonardo Hotels joined Earth Hour 2025, globally initiated by WWF, turning off lights for one hour across all European properties. On the event day, from 20:30 to 21:30, the hotel chain reduced lighting by 20% in communal areas and, where possible, in external spaces like gardens, terraces, and bars. Natascha Michaelsen, sustainability project coordinator at Leonardo Hotels Central Europe, emphasized their commitment to climate and environmental protection through innovative projects and long-term measures.

💸 Blastness Group received the ELITE Certificate for Strategies & Finance, recognizing its alignment with best practices for private SMEs. ELITE, launched by Borsa Italiana in 2012, aims to support sustainable growth by facilitating access to capital, skills, and networking. Blastness, a leader in hotel booking technologies for 5-star hotels, serves over 1,800 accommodations and has engaged with ELITE to enhance innovation and strategic planning. Marta Testi, CEO of ELITE, highlights the importance of clear strategies and financial access for business growth. Andrea Delfini, CEO of Blastness, expresses pride in the recognition that confirms the company's growth and managerial skill enhancement, aiming for global leadership in travel-tech.

🚗 Italy surpassed France in tourism, ranking second in Europe with a record-high 458.4 million tourist nights in 2024, a 2.5% increase from 2023 and 5% above pre-COVID-19 levels. Domestic tourist arrivals in Italy dropped from 65.8 million to 60.8 million, while foreign tourist arrivals increased from 67.9 million to 68.5 million. Spain led the chart with 500.1 million tourist nights, with France at 451 million. Overall, tourism grew in 34 out of 37 European countries monitored by Eurostat. However, Italy experienced a 3.2% decrease in tourist arrivals in 2024, with total arrivals at 129.3 million, down from 133.6 million in 2023. Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines will start charging for baggage from late May, abandoning its two-free-bag policy. The company also announced its first major layoff of 1,750 employees, 15% of its workforce, due to pressure from shareholders like Elliott Investment Management to increase revenue and profits. Major US airlines anticipate a weaker economic environment affecting domestic travel demand. Spirit Airlines aims for profitability after restructuring following Chapter 11, focusing on premium travel. The Trump administration is considering travel restrictions, potentially affecting international travel sentiment, and the third season of "The White Lotus" set in Koh Samui, Thailand, may boost tourism but raises concerns about environmental impacts

🏞 Tui Musement declares Croatia as the leader in naturalistic tourism, with Plitvice Lakes National Park topping the list with over 2 million searches in the past year. Krka National Park, also in Croatia, ranks second, appreciated for its natural beauty and historical significance. The UK's Peak District, the nation's oldest national park, takes third place. Thingvellir National Park in Iceland and Ojców National Park in Poland complete the top five. Among Italian audiences, Vesuvius National Park is the most searched, followed by Gran Paradiso and Pollino National Parks.

🏖️ FARETURISMO, hosted at UER - Università Europea di Roma from March 19-21, 2025, features the conference "PANTOUR: Enhancing green, digital, and soft skills for sustainable tourism growth" on March 20 at 10:00. PANTOUR, an EU-funded project, builds on the NTG (Next Tourism Generation Alliance) initiative, aiming to strengthen ties between education and the tourism sector. Speakers include Susanna Mensitieri and Maurizio Crisanti, moderated by Antonio Barreca. For more details, visit www.fareturismo.it.

💳 Federalberghi partnered with UniCredit to support hotel industry growth, focusing on investment strategies like technological innovation, hotel refurbishment, and cash flow support. The collaboration includes green investment solutions, the "Made4Italy" program for tourism and agri-food synergy, and specialized consultancy for accessing National Recovery and Resilience Plan measures. Federalberghi will link its members with UniCredit's 2,000 branches. Remo Taricani of UniCredit emphasizes strategic tourism for Italian economy, while Alessandro Nucara of Federalberghi highlights the shared development goals.