TOP NEWS

🌍 TikTok and artificial intelligence will shape travel choices in 2025, reports National Geographic Traveller UK. TikTok travel video views surged by 410% in the last three years. The European Travel Commission notes a 6% rise from last year, with 73% of Europeans preferring to travel between October and March due to high costs in peak seasons. Over 400,000 posts with #dupesdestination influenced travelers to opt for alternative destinations like Albania over Greece. In 2025, low-cost long-haul flights emerge, but trains will take the lead in transportation.

📖 Founded in 1997 in Brescia by Iginio Massari and Vittorio Santoro, CAST Alimenti is a renowned culinary school known for its intensive 4-month courses with a 4-month company internship in Pastry and Cuisine. Joining Plena Education in 2020, it expanded its offerings to include two bachelor's degrees in Food & Hospitality in English (Teesside University-recognized) and triennial in Cuisine & Hospitality, focusing on foreign languages. CAST Alimenti will participate in Sigep from January 18-22, 2025. The school boasts 21 world titles in gastronomic disciplines and is part of Plena Education, an educational hub with over 4000 students across various institutes.

📈 The "Rapporto Coop Winter Edition 2025" reveals an Italy grappling with uncertainties but also adapting: over 40% of Italians view 2025 with "concern," 25% with "insecurity," yet 52% maintain a positive outlook. The report indicates a modest +1.3% expected growth in GDO sales from 2024, with 71% of Italians preferring home cooking, and 85% of GDO managers predicting growth in store brand (MDD) food products. Economic disparities affect food preferences, with wealthier individuals opting for healthy foods, while lower-income families turn to MDD for savings.

📊 DalterFood Group, a leader in the dairy and cheese sector, released its third Sustainability Report in 2023. Despite economic and environmental challenges, such as the Ukraine war and climate change, the company achieved an 8% increase in turnover and a 87% increase in training hours. In 2023, DalterFood Group's turnover reached €159 million, marking an 8% growth from €146 million in 2022, with 85% generated abroad. The company operates in 29 countries, employs 181 people (a 5% increase from 2022), and serves over 1,550 clients. They secured a Bronze Medal from EcoVadis for sustainability with a 52% score, reaching the 55th percentile of companies in the network. They aim to reduce environmental impact, evidenced by stable electricity consumption at 0.67 kWh/kg, reduced natural gas from 0.12 to 0.11 m³/kg, and diesel from 0.005 to 0.004 l/kg. DalterFood Group continues to focus on sustainable practices, including animal welfare, where 100% of farms are certified for animal welfare, and investing in the local community and mountain dairies.

✈️ In 2025, the travel sector is shaped by low-cost evolution, premiumisation, online travel, apps, and personalization, as per GlobalData's "Key Themes in Travel & Tourism 2025" report. The travel landscape will differ from 2019 with AI, cybersecurity, and ESG 2.0 being significant. Digital presence and data collection for one-to-one personalization are essential for competitiveness. Online travel platforms and apps offer comprehensive services and use algorithms and AI for personalized recommendations. Low-cost and premium offerings coexist, satisfying different consumer segments and influencing industry standards.

🏠 In Italy, by the end of 2024, the hospitality sector sees a 4% increase in online bookings, totaling 21 billion euros out of 37.5 billion euros in business. Over 70% of sector workers are on fixed-term or seasonal contracts, highlighting employment precarity. Formazione Alberghiera, founded in Verona in 2018, is the only school offering over 3,000 hours of in-company training annually, emphasizing practical skills alongside the adoption of digital and sustainable practices in tourism.

📊 Istat reports stable general inflation at +1.3% year-on-year in December, with a slowdown in grocery cart growth to +1.9% from the previous month's +2.3%. Federdistribuzione, representing over 60 years, unites businesses in Modern Distribution with a turnover of over €80 billion, 52%+ of the sector's total, 18,400+ sales points, and over 220,000 employees, playing a key role in national economic development.

🏖 Sistema Monferrato's "Incoming Piemonte 2025" project receives €330 million, ranking first in the regional funding for travel, with an additional €400,000 from private investments. Andrea Cerrato, the consortium's president, highlights the network of 600 enterprises. The project aims to enhance Piedmont tourism, offering over 150 active travel packages and partnerships with 2,100 travel agencies, plus collaborations with Trenitalia and electric mobility between airports.

📱 In 2025, Italy's Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè met with industry associations to discuss measures for sector growth. The Centro Studi Turistici di Firenze reported a 2.5% increase to 458.5 million tourist presences in 2024 compared to 2023. Key topics included development contracts, refinance of tip tax exemption, short-term rental regulation, and mountain support initiatives.