TOP NEWS

💎 Booking.com reveals a ranking for Valentine's Day travel, with Fukuoka, Japan, seeing a 551% booking increase, leading for February 14. Budapest follows with a 130% rise, and Athens completes the top three at +115%. Venice, Italy, just misses the podium with a 112% boost. Other notable increases include Patong Beach, Thailand (+110%), Krakow, Poland (+108%), Florianopolis, Brazil (+106%), Rome, Italy (+106%), Hurghada, Egypt (+101%), and Paris, France (+101%). The data reflects searches by couples from November 28 to December 5, 2024, for stays during February 14-16, 2025.

🌍 During an event in Madrid, Gianluca Caramanna, Fratelli d'Italia party deputy and advisor to Italy's Tourism Minister, highlighted Italy's progress towards accessible tourism. He mentioned the implementation of a tourism digital hub and funding for a new digital infrastructure utilizing artificial intelligence for data analysis and services to tourists and industry operators, promoting growth without discrimination and adding value to the nation.

🍷 In November, the export of Italian sparkling wines to the US surged by 41% in volume, and still wines by 17%, following the US presidential elections and tariff concerns from President Donald Trump. Over the first 11 months of 2024, shipments to the US increased by 7%, with sparkling wines (mostly Prosecco) up by 19.5%. The US accounts for 24% of Italy's wine exports, totaling over €1.9 billion in 2024. November's export peak hit approximately €54 million (+29%). Lamberto Frescobaldi of Unione Italiana Vini urges the Italian government to focus on potential tariffs' impact on the wine industry.

🏨 TuttoHotel, a hospitality event in Naples, runs until January 22 at the Mostra D'Oltremare, marking its fifth edition. Organized by Ticketlab, Squisito Eventi, and D&D group, TuttoHotel showcases the latest in hospitality trends. Vision Hotel, a new feature, offers a real-scale model of a hospitality structure. The ExtraNet area and Green Hospitality Design highlight non-hotel and eco-friendly solutions, respectively. The third-annual TuttoHotel Awards, in collaboration with the University of Campania's Economics Department, recognize Mediterranean hospitality excellence in 2024.

🏖️ Emilia Romagna region to invest over €500,000 in tourism promotion for Modena and Bologna in 2025, now marketed as a single destination. Events expected to generate over €2.5 million, including ‘Imola Be in Wonder Land’ festival and ‘Outdoor Tours’ at Castel San Pietro Terme. ‘Food & Soul’ will explore flavors, music, and spirituality during the Jubilee year in San Giovanni in Persiceto.

🏖️ In 2025, the travel consultant emerged as the fastest-growing profession in Italy on LinkedIn. Post-pandemic tourism surge contributed to its rise, with Rome, Milan, and Turin leading in hiring. The role outpaced artificial intelligence engineers, who came in second. Reservation agents, another travel-related position, ranked fourth. Sectors actively seeking these roles include hospitality, travel organization, and recreational facilities. Event specialists also featured prominently in various sectors like event services, consulting, and hospitality. For more details, visit www.linkedin.com.

📈 InfoJobs' Winter Professions Observatory 2024 reports an 8.4% increase in winter job market offerings, with 16,000 positions between October-December, up from 14,660 in 2023. Tourism and catering lead the growth by 20%, rising from 2,269 to over 2,700 job opportunities. Retail also rises by 6.4%, from 12,391 to 13,179 jobs. Notably, November's tourism and catering sector jumped by 26%, and the most sought-after roles include waiters, tourist entertainers, and bartenders. (Source: InfoJobs.it)

🏢 "Hospitality – Il Salone dell’Accoglienza" will take place at Riva del Garda from February 3 to 6, 2025, featuring over 800 companies across 4 thematic areas and 3 special sections. The event includes H EXPERIENCE with immersive experiences and the H Academy offers educational events. Competitions like "Horeca Social Stars" and "Best Wine Hospitality Manager" will be held, along with a masterclass by pizzaiolo Diego Vitagliano on February 4.

🏡 Italian commercial real estate experienced a boost with investments reaching €9.9 billion in 2024, marking a 47% increase from the previous year. Hospitality took second place with €2.1 billion, a 36% increase from 2023, including €650 million in Q4 alone. The retail segment led with €2.9 billion. Office investments hit €1.9 billion, followed by industrial & logistics with €1.6 billion, living spaces with €715 million, and alternative assets with €440 million. CBRE highlights the investment growth due to increased investor confidence, especially in leisure markets and major cities of art.

🏕 European tourism marked a record year in 2024 with 2.99 billion overnight stays according to Eurostat, a 2% increase over 2023. Luxembourg led with a 22% surge, followed by Malta (13%) and Latvia (7%), while Belgium and France saw a marginal drop of 1%. Italy, Sweden, and Finland remained stable. International visitors contributed an additional 58.7 million overnight stays, whereas domestic tourism declined by 5.3 million. Hotels dominated accommodation preferences, accounting for 63% (1.9 billion stays), followed by holiday homes at 24% (711 million stays), and campsites at 13% (396 million stays).