TOP NEWS

📷 In 2024, Paris welcomed 70 million visitors, boosted by the summer Olympics and the December reopening of Notre Dame. International air arrivals rose 15.4% from November 1 to December 8, compared to 2023. Southern Europe accounted for 376,000 arrivals (+8%), North America 191,000 (+19%), and Northern Europe 174,000 (+21%). During the Olympics' first week, international arrivals spiked 33%, with a significant contribution from New York and Tokyo markets. Visa noted a 42% rise in international cardholders in Paris, while U.S. visitors' spending surged by 72%. Olympic attendees spent 20% more than non-attendees; restaurant spending jumped 49%. Parisian hotel rates soared 300% during the Olympics, with average nightly prices hitting €700, up from €170 in 2023. Paris retains its top spot in the ‘Top 100 City Destinations Index’ for the fourth year, forecasting continued momentum into 2025.

🌎 Pinterest Predicts' annual report, which surveys the platform's 500+ million monthly users, anticipates sustainability as the key trend for travel in 2025. Gen Z leads 65% of these trends, with a shift from urban vacations to remote mountain locations. Travelers of all ages, including Gen X and Boomers, seek sustainability, light-heartedness, and experiences in 'colorful' places for 2025, highlighting a 'New Rococo' style for special occasions and events.

🏂 In 2024, the Italian Ministry of Tourism allocated over €141 million for promotion and innovation in the sector. Out of this, €97,496,128.6 has already been disbursed through 2,584 payments, with another 219 payments totaling €44,221,470.99 pending. These funds support various stakeholders, including the mountain regions for the ski season. Nearly €75 million were disbursed in the last quarter, with expectations to more than double the funding in 2025.

🏖 The Italian Ministry of Tourism allocated over €141 million in 2024 for promotion and innovation in tourism. By year's end, €141,717,600 was disbursed in 2,803 payments to private operators, third-sector entities, regions, and local public entities. Out of these, 2,584 payments totaling €97,496,128.6 were executed, with another 219 payments amounting to €44,221,470.99 forthcoming. This included significant funds to support and revitalize the mountain and ski sector. Between October and December 2024, nearly €75 million were paid out, signaling a positive trend for 2025.

🚧 TTG Word addresses tourism experiences, suggesting new approaches for a market weary of concept overuse. They identify 10 traveler types, offering extraordinary, unique options for each. Solutions tailor experiences to the desires of diverse, demanding tourists. Details on these 10 ideas can be found on TTG World, with a link provided for further information.

📅 ITLab 2025, the intensive training course for hospitality managers, will be held on January 21 and 22, 2025 at the Hotel Ramada in Naples. The third edition features 16 hours of classroom or live streaming sessions. Domenico De Vanna, CEO of DDV Business Management, initiated the project, which saw success since its first edition in 2023. Nozio will have a desk and CEO Massimo Trovò will speak on AI in hotel marketing at 15:50 on January 21.

💸 Romagnoli F.lli Spa, an Italian fruit and vegetable company, published its fourth Sustainability Report for the 2023 fiscal year, highlighting a 4% reduction in energy consumption, a production of 2,158 GJ of electricity from solar plants, and a 1.8% decrease in Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions. Employee count rose from 69 to 79, with women representing 61% and making up 50% of the Board of Directors. The company provided 606 hours of training and retained key environmental and social certifications, including UNI/PdR 125:2022 for Gender Equality, UNI EN ISO 14001:2015, and UNI ISO 45001:2018. Romagnoli F.lli commercialized over 61,000 tonnes of potatoes annually, primarily within Italy under various brands, including the company's own èVita brand.

📌 Cathy Adams, Senior Commissioning Editor at The Times, recounted an experiment revealing the limitations of AI in travel planning. AI helped Adams with China's 144-hour visa-free transit information, a task that forums and agents struggled with. However, testing various travel chatbots showed their inability to match human understanding or provide satisfactory responses. In 2023, 38% of travelers chose human travel professionals, with predictions suggesting 45% of Italian travelers will use AI for travel by 2025. Despite AI integration in travel, 22% of Italians, especially those over 55, still prefer traditional agencies for personalized and expert support.

🏡 LVG Group and Albergo Etico founded Albergo Etico LVG, aspiring to become Europe's first social hotel chain, with a plan to manage 25 facilities in Italy within five years. The partnership combines the expertise of Albergo Etico in integrating disabled individuals into the workforce and LVG Group's hospitality management skills. The first two Albergo Etico LVG managed facilities are in Fénis, Valle d'Aosta, and Cesenatico, employing around 40 people. The expansion includes new openings scheduled for 2025 in Lago Maggiore, Pietrelcina, Palermo, Vieste, and Trento, aiming to have a workforce of 100 by 2025, approximately 25% disabled. Claudio Lavagna, CEO of LVG Group, and Alex Toselli, President of Albergo Etico LVG Società Benefit, underscored the project's ambition and commitment to social inclusion.

🍝 The 'Rapporto sul Turismo Enogastronomico Italiano 2024' identified five new types of gastronomic travelers: Researchers (42.1%) seek authentic experiences through local food and traditions, Partygoers (23%) enjoy food for fun and socializing, Intellectuals (19%) travel to enrich their cultural knowledge about taste history and techniques, Flower Children (11.5%) focus on psycho-physical well-being with sustainable and natural food, and Hedonists (4.3%) indulge in luxury with exclusive experiences, starred restaurants, and fine wines. These profiles illustrate diverse approaches to food while traveling: exploration, conviviality, culture, wellness, and luxury.