Innovazione

🍳 Professional kitchens face challenges such as limited space, high operational costs, and the need for high-quality standards. iVario Pro by RATIONAL reduces energy consumption by 40% and speeds up cooking by up to four times. Teknica SRL, collaborating with RATIONAL for 25 years, began offering personalized iVario Pro demonstrations in June 2023. I.P.E.I. SRL's direct trial strategy led to the purchase of six iVario units after a one-week trial, surpassing the initial skepticism of five units. These initiatives demonstrate how iVario Pro can simplify kitchen work, ensuring efficiency and optimal results.

🍕 Elementi Cocktail & Pizza in Prato, active for two years, launches "Migration" cocktail list inspired by animal migration routes. Bartender Francesco Giuntini merges global flavors and traditions in each drink, in collaboration with Gruppo Lucano, featuring products like Vermouth Mancino, Amaro Lucano, and Rinomato Aperitivo. Highlights include the Whale, Sahara Stork, Crazy Fish, Aurora Opal Dancer, Elusive, and Artik Raptor, showcasing a fusion of diverse ingredients. The list complements Elementi's dining experience, which includes a nine-course tasting menu by pizzaiolo Roberto Cordioli.

🚀 Europcar partners with Italo for car rentals, offering Italo GO customers and Italo Più loyalty program members discounts between 10-15% and points on spendings. Dora Bonadies, network & market development at Italo, highlights the strategic partnership appreciated by travelers. The collaboration uses Meili's platform for smooth integration of high-speed rail and car rental services, aiming for comprehensive mobility solutions as stated by Enrico Farina, Europcar Mobility Group Italy's commercial director.

🌍 Booking.com's "Travel Predictions 2025" emphasizes a shift towards authentic and responsible travel experiences, increasingly aided by AI, such as AI Trip Planner. Baby boomers are seeking adventurous activities like skydiving and Antarctic camping. Airports are becoming a significant part of the travel experience, with some tourists visiting destinations for the airports themselves. Night tourism and wellness-focused accommodations are also emerging trends identified by Matthias Schmid, Senior Vice President of Accommodations at Booking.com.

✈ Virgin Atlantic collaborates with Joby Aviation to offer electric air taxi service to London Heathrow and Manchester airports. Supporting Joby's efforts for certification, Virgin will market the service and advocate for vertical landing areas at airports. The four-seater electric aircraft can cover routes up to 160 kilometers, potentially reducing Heathrow to Canary Wharf travel from 80 to just 8 minutes. Joby, also partnered with Delta following a $60 million investment, plans a UK network with competitive pricing.

🚢 Avalon Waterways by 2026 will revamp its entire fleet of European river cruise ships to meet luxury standards. This year, Avalon Artistry II, Avalon Impression, Avalon Illumination, Avalon Tapestry II, and Avalon Tranquility II will undergo renovation. In 2026, Avalon Expression and Avalon Visionary will be updated. Upgrades include new interiors, chic outdoor spaces with new furnishings, a second Starlink antenna for enhanced Wi-Fi, an improved Observation Lounge, updated fitness rooms with Kinesis weight machines, 15 new pedal bikes, and 4 new e-bikes. Pam Hoffee, the company's president, emphasizes the goal of perfectly designed cruises with these fleet enhancements.

✈ Air France unveils new La Première suite to be introduced on Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in the coming months, with the first flight to New York-JFK in spring and expanded destinations like Los Angeles, Singapore, and Tokyo-Haneda by summer 2025. Benjamin Smith, President of Air France and CEO of Air France-KLM, highlights the suite's ground and in-flight private experiences, with nearly 3.5 square meters of personal space, 25% more than current cabins, and features such as a full-flat bed of two meters by 75 centimeters, five windows for lateral suites, sliding electric partitions for center suites, two 32-inch 4K screens, noise-canceling headphones, Bluetooth connectivity, 110V/220V electrical outlets, USB ports, wireless charging, and upcoming ultra-fast connectivity across the fleet.

📖 Claudia Randazzo, CEO of Trinity Viaggi Studio, notes a significant post-Covid resurgence in language travel. Adults, in addition to school-age children, are increasingly seeking courses abroad to enhance language proficiency and earn job-useful certifications. Trinity now offers tailor-made individual packages, including 5-star hotel stays, prestigious schools with one-on-one lessons, and sports experiences. They've also launched 'alternative' destinations for language study like the UAE, South Africa, Mauritius, and China, mainly targeting traveled teens seeking new experiences.

✈ Air France introduces its new La Première suite on select Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, with the first flight to New York-JFK scheduled for spring. Destinations like Los Angeles, Singapore, and Tokyo-Haneda will be added in summer 2025. Developed over three years, the suite provides nearly 3.5 square meters of personal space with a full flat bed of two meters length and 75 cm width, offering 25% more space than the current cabin. Technological features include two 32-inch 4K screens, noise-cancelling headphones, Bluetooth connectivity, 110V/220V outlets, USB-A and USB-C ports, wireless charging, and free Wi-Fi. The suite is controllable via a wireless touchscreen tablet, allowing passengers to adjust seating, lighting, and entertainment.

💰 BizAway, a Friulian scaleup, soared to 29th in the FT1000 ranking by the Financial Times and Statista, a significant leap from 216th the previous year. With a 237.1% annual growth between 2020 and 2023, BizAway leads the Hospitality & Travel sector for the fourth consecutive year. Founded in 2015, its workforce expanded from 47 to 237, spreading across 8 locations, including a new Dubai office in 2023. Innovations like BizzyFlex and BizzyPay on their platform have fueled their growth and customer care approach.