TOP NEWS

🏢 New Deal Europe, set for March 25, 2025, at the Congress Centre in London, aims to be the largest in-person business event for Southeast Europe and the Balkans. In 2024, over 90 buyers and 65 suppliers attended, a 30% increase from the previous year. Albania welcomed over 10 million foreign visitors, while Slovenia surpassed pre-pandemic levels by 2023 with a 2% increase from 2019. The event has 10 additional spots for suppliers due to early sell-out, marking it as the most attended edition yet.

🍪 At Sigep 2025, Maestro Pasticciere Ernst Knam, interviewed by Fabio Russo, praised Modecor products, a brand of Gruppo Casa Optima. Knam highlighted the pastry trend towards simplicity, favoring classic cakes with minimal decorations. Confirmed to continue as a judge on Bake Off, Knam advises aspiring pastry chefs of the profession's demands, noting a growing scarcity and demand for skilled pastry chefs.

???? The No-Low alcohol trend in the UK is forecasted to grow by 7% annually from 2024 to 2028, building on significant growth over 2023. Wine fairs are dedicating more space to No-Low products, with new alcohol-free shops opening in Bordeaux's center. Events like Prowein in 2022 and Wine Paris have featured No-Low alcohol, with Vinitaly 2025 announcing a focus on the sector after Italy approved the production of non-alcoholic wines. Celebrities like Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Kylie Minogue, Lewis Hamilton, and Tom Holland have launched No-Low alcohol brands. Familia Torres invests €6 million for a dedicated non-alcoholic winery in Catalonia, while Bordeaux's Belles Grappes shop symbolizes the industry's shift toward No-Low offerings.

🏠 Bed-and-Breakfast.it, an Italian booking portal recognized by INAPP, surpassed 10,000 properties in 2024, handling over 280,000 contacts including stay requests and direct bookings. Peak booking period was May 30 to August 13, 2024. Unlike OTAs charging 20-30% commission, it offers fixed-rate, commission-free bookings. Lazio, Emilia-Romagna, and Tuscany were top destinations in 2024; couples made up 61% of bookings, with 25-35-year-olds being the most represented age group. Over 10,300 contacts recorded in January 2025 indicate a continued preference for simple, genuine holidays.

📍 A SiteMinder report reveals changing Italian tourism trends, with a more even distribution of hotel bookings throughout the year. In 2024, summer bookings (June-August) dropped to 31.68%, while May and October saw increases to 9.39% and 9.15%, respectively. Hotel rates rose by 5.4% to an average of €239.60 per night, with May and October being the most expensive months. International tourists accounted for 65.24% of check-ins, favoring cities like Rome, Venice, and Florence, as well as regions like Puglia and Sicily. The average booking lead time in Italy was 34 days, above the global average of 31.98 days, with stable cancellation rates slightly over 21%.

🏖️ Tourism trends in Italy show that 57% of tourists view travel as a transformative experience for personal growth and 69% consider rediscovering themselves as fundamental, as reported by TTG Monitor. Gloria Armiri of IEG highlighted the trend during Travel Innovation Day, indicating a shift towards destinations offering evocative aspects such as magic, fairy tales, folklore, cinema, poetry, and music. The importance of food, crafts, and shopping remains a steadfast attraction for visitors seeking value-added experiences. Italy is adapting its tourism offerings to meet these evolving desires.

📍 Polimi's Osservatorio Travel Innovation reports tourism has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels in 2024, with international arrivals and spending up, marking a 4% growth. Transport sector rose by 10%, with airfares decreasing by 2.1% despite an 11% transaction increase. Car rental prices dropped by 1%, with a 7% volume rise. Ground transport prices, however, increased by 4.5%. Hospitality in Italy generated approximately €38 billion, a 5% increase, driven by strong incoming business travel. E-commerce growth aligned with the market at 5%. Organized tourism, including tour operators and travel agencies, saw a 9% increase, with package costs rising by an average of 12%. Future projections indicate an 8% growth for air transport and a 6% rise for hospitality and travel agencies. ????

🏖 December 2024, Demoskopika analysis reveals a 0.5% monthly and 3.4% annual increase in tourism inflation in Italy, with a slowdown from the previous month's 4.0%. In 2024, the Nict tourism price index averaged +3.9%, down from 2023's +6.2%. Key sector increases: vacation packages (+4.7%), recreational/cultural services (+4.2%), transport services (+3.6%), accommodation and catering (+2.9%). Notably, recreational/sports services surged by +18.5% annually, maritime transport by +12.0%, domestic vacation packages by +7.3%, and passenger air transport by +5.7%. Air passenger transport jumped by +18.5% monthly, with domestic flights up +21.6% and international flights +17.7%. Vacation packages rose by +10.0%, while accommodation services, especially hotels, declined by -2.7%. The inflation gap between general and tourism price indices narrowed to 2.1 percentage points. Liguria and other regions exceeded the national price growth average. November 2024 data shows Italy's harmonized tourism price index (Ipcat) increased by 4.1% annually, compared to the EU's 4.8%.