Innovazione

🍕 McDonald’s opened a new restaurant in Ardea on Viale San Lorenzo, marking the 79th location in the Rome province and creating 50 new jobs. The restaurant features 300 seats, digital kiosks, a dedicated McCafé, a children's play area, and a McDrive lane. Open daily from 7 AM to midnight, with McDrive available until 1 AM, and Delivery service starting November 14. McDonald's has been in Italy for 38 years, with over 700 restaurants and 35,000 employees serving 1.2 million customers daily, 90% operated as franchises.

🍔 Mowi, Norwegian company, sponsors the 7th edition of Burger Battle Italia, starting on October 21, 2024, in Bolzano, followed by events in Popoli on November 12, Naples on November 18, and ending in Rimini on February 17, 2025. Mowi offers a range of gourmet salmon burgers, including a 100g natural Norwegian salmon burger and a 150g breaded version. Mowi Professional products are ASC certified, with Mowi leading in global sustainable protein production, headquartered in Bergen, Norway, operating in 25 countries, with 11,600 employees, and a 2023 revenue of €5.5 billion.

🍷 CLIMAROMA, a research project on climate change's impact on wine quality, involves French and Spanish institutes and is 65% co-funded by the EU under the POCTEFA 2021-2027 program. Led by the University of Zaragoza, the study will last from 2024 to 2027. It aims to explore temperature and drought effects on wine defects, identify risk-reducing cultivation areas, and develop action plans including viticulturist training in the POCTEFA region.

🛩 Trenitalia's Frecciarossa and the Italian Air Force promote sustainable travel with the "Insieme per il futuro" initiative. The international crew of Axiom Space's Mission Ax-3 boarded the Frecciarossa high-speed train on October 9 at Rome Termini Station for their Post Flight Tour. Frecciarossa 1000, the world's first high-speed train with an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), uses technologies that reduce energy consumption by up to 30% compared to previous models. The new Frecciarossa trains have a 97.1% recyclability rate. Colonel Walter Villadei, an astronaut with the Italian Air Force, spent 21 days in orbit conducting significant scientific experiments, reinforcing Italy's role in space exploration.

🏖️ Turismi.AI announced the Special Turismi.AI Award at the TTG Travel Experience in Rimini, recognizing innovative startups and companies within the tourism sector. The award, part of 2031's main Italian innovation platform, will be given for the first time to those enhancing traveler experiences and promoting sustainability. Edoardo Colombo, president of Turismi.AI, highlighted the importance of AI in transforming tourism. Turismi.AI also revealed a strategic partnership with Savona, aiming to become the Italian Capital of Culture 2027 by using AI to boost its tourism.

🏅 La piattaforma italiana ENDU ha rivelato, in collaborazione con Destination Italia, dati sui trend del turismo sportivo iniziando una survey nel luglio del 2024. L'indagine ha evidenziato che il 64,8% dei viaggiatori si sposta in famiglia, il 23,5% con amici, e solo il 6,5% viaggia da solo, con una compagnia media di 2-3 persone. Il 78% ritiene che le esperienze sportive influenzino molto la scelta della destinazione vacanze. In Italia, il turismo legato agli eventi di massa produce un indotto di 7,5 miliardi di euro, con altri 4,5 miliardi generati dal cicloturismo. La corsa è la disciplina più popolare (39%), generando un indotto di 120 milioni da circa 30 eventi. Il 63,4% desidera cambiare meta per ogni vacanza.

🚲 Italy is the top requested destination for bicycle vacations in 2024, as revealed by "State of the Cycling Tour Operators Industry 2024," conducted among 245 operators, 69% European. The cycle tourism market saw a 66% growth in turnover in 2023, with 68% expecting higher revenues in 2024. The average trip lasts 4-8 days, costing €128 in Europe and €214 outside. U.S. tourists lead (29%), followed by Germany (16%) and the UK (13%). Preferred accommodations are 3-star hotels (74%), with top activities being city visits (83%) and nature sites (68%). Key challenges include inflation, promotion, seasonality (46%), staffing shortages (32%), and technological upgrades (21%). The e-bike trend is growing, with 51% acknowledging its expanding market influence.

💶 Euro-Emotur project discussed at TTG Travel Experience 2024 aims to bolster business innovation and digital transformation. Key figures: Tim Fairhurst (Etoa), Federica Francioni (Itinere Bike&Travel), Erica Mingotto (Ciset), Enrico Olivieri (Le Palme Camping & Village). Partners include Etoa, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Tourism Board of Gran Canaria, NECSTouR, Haaga Helia University, and Ciset. Over 100 businesses involved, 60 from pilot areas in Veneto, Gran Canaria, Finland, and 40 elsewhere in Europe, plus 80 digital providers. The project entailed digital situation analysis, neuromarketing strategies implementation for web portals, and digital channel development support through a digital hub.

🍻 Pernod Ricard Italia partners with Warner Music Italia for a series of three "one night" events at Warner Music Club in Milan, offering a mix of music and high-quality responsible drinking. The first night featured Monkey 47 and Jameson. Alice Marinelli from Pernod Ricard Italia emphasizes the promotion of responsible drinking to foster deep human connections, aligning with Warner's values for culturally relevant consumption experiences. The partnership aims to enhance brand loyalty among consumers of both companies.

🌆 Hospitality Day, an annual tourism and hospitality event, took place on October 8, 2024, at Palacongressi di Rimini. Organized by Teamwork Hospitality, the event marked its 11th edition with over 5,000 attendees from across Italy, more than 250 speakers, and 300 partnering companies. The event featured emerging topics, successful case studies, and innovative visions for the industry's future. Key themes included commercial development, digital automation, leadership, customer loyalty, marketing, AI, sustainability, and inclusive hospitality. Eight thematic arenas offered specialized insights into hotel design, communication, housekeeping, F&B, revenue, technology, and future hotel trends.