Innovazione

🚗 Busitalia (Gruppo FS) will deliver 111 new buses by 2025 with an investment of €44 million. The announcement was made at the BMT - Borsa Mediterranea del Turismo in Naples, by CEO Serafino Lo Piano. The buses feature ergonomic seats, USB/USB-C and 230V sockets, Wi-Fi, and accessibility for disabled persons, with 360° cameras and digital mirrors on some models. New strategic connections will enhance sustainable mobility, including Airlink services from Verona Porta Nuova and Brescia to Orio al Serio Airport starting April 14, and improved navigation on Lago Trasimeno with increased daily links beginning March 30, 2025.

💸 Uvet reported a positive trend for February's Business Travel Trend (BTT) Travel Value at 103, a 6-point increase from February 2024. The BTT Transactions rose by 5 points year-over-year. Average spending remained stable at 127. Flight BTT Travel Value reached 90 in February 2025, up from 84 in February 2024, with national flights increasing by 13 points year-over-year. Rail and Hotel BTT Travel Value both grew by 8 points. Car Rental BTT Transactions and Travel Value were stable, with average spending up by 3 points. Analysis over five years highlights the pandemic impact, with transaction indices at 31 and 33 in '20 and '21, but recovering to 62 and 73 in '22 and '23, respectively. Average prices peaked in '22 (index 127). The 2023 and 2024 data show signs of easing inflation. The indices are based on a consistent sample from a mix of large, medium, and small companies using Uvet GBT services from 2019-2024, covering air and rail transport, hotel stays, and car rentals, excluding variables like new client acquisition. The BTT reflects overall Business Travel trends, not just Uvet GBT performance.

🏖️ Casa Cook, a premium lifestyle hospitality brand, launched in 2016 in Rhodes, is set to open its first Italian facility in Madonna di Campiglio in June. The brand, which has expanded into Greece, Egypt, and Turkey, joins the portfolio of four existing Casa Cook hotels. Goldman Sachs Asset Management Company acquired the Casa Cook and Cook’s Club brands in May 2023, marking a new growth phase. The Madonna di Campiglio hotel, managed by Treasurests Hospitality Group and part of the Jp Hospitality division of Hospitality Investors Club, will feature 50 design rooms, a gym, spa, and an innovative boot room. Three-star Michelin chef Jacob Jan Boerma will oversee the culinary experience. Design is a collaboration between Casa Collective Ltd and Remo Marsala, founder of Vision Alphabet. Future expansions in Italy may include seaside locations like Sicily and Marina di Pisa, while in Europe, potential growth areas are Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, and Portugal.

📈 Going, launched in 2022, eyes 2025 with ambitions to increase its revenue from €33 million in 2024 to over €45 million. Maurizio Casabianca, the chief commercial & operations officer, highlights the growth, tripling pre-Covid figures. Growth drivers include a synergy with Disney, positioning Going as the official distributor in Italy for Walt Disney World Orlando. Combinations with Disney World and authentic experiences are spearheaded by Ivana Di Stasio, focusing on eco-sustainable travel. Additional destinations like Japan offer alternative itineraries. The 'Stylosophy on tour' training events began on March 12, accompanying a 14-stop roadshow and incentives detailed by sales director Mariagrazia Verna. New offerings include Going Resorts in Sharm el Sheikh, Marsa Matrouh, Crete, and Rhodes, featured in a new catalogue available next week.

🍷 Castelli Romani, hailed as Città Italiana del Vino 2025, selects Francesca Giubelli, an AI-created virtual influencer with a "blue check" from Meta, to promote wine culture and attract visitors through an event calendar across ten municipalities. The influencer, devised by Francesco Giuliani, Emiliano Belmonte, and Valeria Fossatelli in 2020 using AI tools Leonardo and ChatGPT, was created without funding or backers. A chatbot is soon to launch on the event's website, furthering promotion via social media.

🍪 Trevalli Cooperlat, an Italian dairy cooperative, unveiled a rebranding of Trevalli and Hoplà Professional at Sigep's latest edition, featuring a data-driven redesign developed with Tradelab and predictive AI from Arteficegroup. The AFH sector comprises about 50% of its €230 million turnover. Headquartered in Jesi, Marche, it includes 10 agricultural cooperatives across 6 Italian regions, producing and marketing products under brands Trevalli, Hoplà, Abit, Latte Cigno, Delta lat, Fresco Marche, Sibilla, and Valmetauro.

📱 Sara Lusetti, marketing manager at Foodness, introduced "Tutti Buoni," a new ready-to-eat product line at HorecaTv. It includes nine dishes—six entrees and three mains—with a wide selection of gluten-free options, except for one spelt-based product. Using patented technology, the dishes are raw-cooked, sterilized, and stabilized, preserving nutrients and taste with a one-year shelf life at room temperature. Ready in two minutes via microwave, they're ideal for fast-paced bars and eateries.

💸 Michael Cacciatore, Vice President South Europe at Pricer, spoke at the "Pianeta Distribuzione" conference, organized by "Largo Consumo". He discussed the transformation of retail, emphasizing agile and integrated solutions to current market dynamics. Pricer, founded in Sweden in 1991 and listed on the Stockholm Nasdaq, has over 30 years of experience supporting retailers with advanced, dynamic, precise, and automated price management technologies. Pricer's new "Pricer AvenueTM" system contributes to digital retail transformation, enhancing customer interaction and data collection for in-store optimization. A German production site has been opened, reflecting Pricer’s commitment to a circular supply approach and sustainability. For more information, visit www.pricer.com.

🍵 Internorga 2025 in Hamburg features Evoca's new Gaggia Milano G 300 Krea and Saeco's Aurora machines. G 300 Krea, with a 10-inch HTML5 interface and 3-cup sensor, offers 30% increased productivity and 40% lower operation costs compared to fresh milk. Wittenborg's W100 received the iF DESIGN AWARD 2025 and European Product Design Awards™ 2024. Necta's Barista 500 Pro Touch introduces advanced vending coffee solutions. Evoca Group, with 100+ years history, serves over 10,000 clients with professional coffee machines and vendors. Meet Evoca at Internorga, Pavilion A4, Stand 305 from March 14-18, 2025.

📦 Mercanti di Spirits releases its 2025 catalog, now in its 5th year, 8th edition, with Stefano Talice contributing to the introduction and insights. AGUAVEGA, a premium 70 cl, 48.4% Alc. Vol. agave distillate, and ROMERO & SONS LA CUATRO LEYENDA, a limited 70 cl, 51.4% Alc. Vol. blend with less than 300 bottles, are featured. YAKU WARI 9 YEARS WAK’A SERIES offers a 70 cl, 47.4% Alc. Vol. Ecuadorian rum, aged for 9 years. MARAMA ORIGINS PHILIPPINES is a 70 cl, 40% Alc. Vol. spiced rum. MixFactor Relicario Experience 2025 celebrates its 9th edition, rewarding the winner with a trip to Barcelona.