TOP NEWS

📈 Blastness, a leader in travel-tech, won the 2026 HotelTechAwards in "Hotel Reservations Software" for their Central Reservation System (CRS). Over 2,500,000 industry reviews from 120+ countries contributed to this recognition. Blastness processes over €2 billion annually, with online bookings growing 64% from 2019 to 2025. Direct bookings increased by 104%, contributing to a 30% market share. Their Booking Engine ranked 7th globally, and RMS remained in the Top 10. Blastness serves 2,000+ clients, leading in Italy for 5-star hotels.

🏨 Tuttohotel 2026 kicks off on January 12 at Mostra d'Oltremare in Naples, Italy, for its sixth edition, running until January 14. It features over 180 brands and 30 training events. Key attendees include Vincenzo Maraio and Teresa Armato. Highlights include the Vision Hotel and Green Hotel Design installations. The event offers free entry with registration. Workshops cover B&B management, and the Tuttohotel Awards take place on January 12 at 3:00 PM.

🌍 Roma, 2026: Fontana di Trevi will charge a €2 entry fee to manage tourism. From next summer, motorboats won't approach Capri's faraglioni. Amalfi and Positano are considering entry fees and visitor limits. Portofino will use an app to cap access at 6,500 people. Tenerife's Teide now charges €10-€25 for hikes. Zaanse Schans, Netherlands, will have a €17.50 entry fee by spring. Norway and Edinburgh also introduce tourism taxes. Overtourism prompts stricter visitor controls worldwide.

📅 SIGEP World 2026 in Rimini, from January 16-20, integrates five projects: Luxury Hotel Food Experience, Sustainability District, Innovation Bar, Gelato Meets Chains, and Pizza (R)evolution. Highlight: "Colazioni d'autore" at Portrait Milano, winner of Best Breakfast 2024. Key focus: Sustainability District, with 21 African and Latin American cooperatives, and the coffee sector, representing 35% of global trade. Also, explore gelato's international potential and Pizza (R)evolution's industrial integration.

📈 Aries Group, in 2025, recorded an 11% growth with over 1.14 million stays, managed over 1,600 rooms in Milan, Bologna, and Rome. EBITDA margin for 2025 is projected at 21%, up 2 points from 2024. For 2026, revenue growth is expected to exceed 4%, occupancy to improve by over 2%, and EBITDA margin to rise by over 1.5 points. The group aims for strategic acquisitions in key Italian tourist and business locations.

📅 4 and 6 February 2026, Egnazia Ospitalità Italiana is hosting recruitment days with 120 job openings. Online interviews are on 4 February, and in-person at Borgo Egnazia on 6 February. Positions span various departments like Front of House, Spa, and Events. Locations include Savelletri di Fasano, Ostuni, Maratea, Porto Cervo, Cortina d’Ampezzo, and San Lorenzo di Sebato. Apply by 26 January 2026, 18:00. More info: egnazia.com/it/recruiting-days/.

🏆 6-22 February 2026, Milano and Cortina will host the Winter Olympics, with an estimated 2.5 million visitors. Economic benefits could reach €5.3 billion: €1.1 billion from immediate spending, €1.2 billion from tourism over 12-18 months, and €3 billion from infrastructure legacies. The challenge lies in managing the Olympic legacy, inspired by Barcelona 1992, potentially increasing tourist spending by over €1 billion between 2027 and 2030.

🏒 Milano, dal 7 al 22 febbraio, ospiterà "casa Airbnb" durante le Olimpiadi invernali, offrendo esperienze con 15 atleti olimpici e paralimpici e 15 host locali. Visite guidate includeranno esclusivi incontri con l'atleta paralimpica Francesca Porcellato e la campionessa olimpica Deborah Compagnoni. Norbert Niederkofler presenterà "Cook the Mountain". Prenotazioni disponibili ora per attività che spaziano dal curling al design.

📈 Gruppo Italcanditi's 2024 Sustainability Report reveals a 100% renewable energy use across its sites, with 91% from Guarantees of Origin and 9% from local solar plants. Pedrengo's biogas plant produced 1,533 MWh. In 2024, 70% of raw materials came from Italian suppliers, and 592 employees were recorded, a 25% increase. 3,970 training hours were provided. The group aims for 100% certified raw materials by 2030.

🍪 Giovedì 8 gennaio, "Sweet Home Food Network" torna sul canale 33 e discovery+ alle 22.00, presentando 40 Ambasciatori APEI, con episodi settimanali. Guidati da Iginio Massari, la serie esplora le eccellenze dolciarie italiane. La produzione è curata da In-Nova di Ferrara, con Gianluca Antonelli alla scrittura e Irene Colombo alla conduzione. Disponibile anche su Instagram, il programma unisce tradizione e creatività.