TOP NEWS

🍷 In 2025, Italy's wine tourism is expected to generate 20 million overnight stays and attract 13 million wine tourists, according to Cna estimates before Vinitaly reported by ansa.it. Two-thirds of these enotourists will be Italian, with the remaining third coming from abroad. Four out of five foreign tourists will incorporate winery and vineyard visits into longer vacations. Notably, these figures do not include day trips without overnight stays.

🏁 Qatar prepares for a bustling 2025 with exclusive events in sports, music, culture, and sustainability aimed at attracting global tourism. Key events include the Qatar Airways MotoGP™ Grand Prix (April 11-13) and Formula 1 Grand Prix (November 28-30) at Lusail International Circuit, Ed Sheeran's concert (April 30), EcoGreen Expo (April 22-25), Doha International Book Fair (May 1-17), QNB One Run For All half marathon (May 23), Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship final (December 11-13), Qatar International Art Festival (December 7-12), and the traditional Dhow Festival (November).

📍 The "consorzio Nordeste Brasil" from nine Brazilian states including Alagoas, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, Pernambuco, Maranhão, Bahia, Piauí, and Sergipe debuted in Milan after London, aiming to showcase an unusual, sophisticated, and sustainable side of South America. Post-pandemic, Italian visitor numbers to Brazil are rebounding, with a 16% increase in demand and a target of 192,000 visitors by the end of the year, up from 154,000 in 2024. Family tourism is rising, with a shift from beach resorts to city and inland cultural itineraries. In 2024, Brazil welcomed 6.5 million international tourists, spending $6.7 billion, with a 65.3% increase in 2025's first two months. Italy ranked third among European markets. The "Programma di Accelerazione del Turismo" planned 5,000 flights between Europe and Brazil for Q1 2025, offering 1.5 million seats on 34 routes, a 14% increase from 2024, including 14 direct routes with Tap Portugal as the main partner carrier.

🖥 Daniela Santanchè, Italy's Minister of Tourism, announced the initiative for an AI incubator for tourism, led by Italy and the Ministry, during her presentation at the OECD. The incubator aims to support SMEs in the tourism sector with training and implementation of AI as an opportunity, not a threat. Santanchè also emphasized the importance of a human and territory-centered approach to innovative technologies like digitalization and AI for sustainable and high-quality tourism growth. Projects like the Tourism Digital Hub and funding for innovative AI-based startups in the industry were highlighted, as well as participation in European data space initiatives like Dates, Deploytour, and D3HUB.

🏖️ In Sicily, the Bando Turismo Sicilia 2025 initiative offers non-repayable grants up to 80% and financing from €50,000 to €3.5 million for hospitality structures, with a total fund of €135 million. Beneficiaries include hotels, campsites, hostels, tourist villages, mountain refuges, guest houses, and vacation rentals, with up to €300,000 per single company under the De Minimis aid and up to 60% of eligible expenses for micro and small companies, 50% for medium companies, and 40% for large companies under exemption aid. Eligible expenses range from property purchases to modernizations and include consultancy and project-related costs. Submission details are yet to be announced.

🏖️ At the Fiavet conference, held at the THotel in Lamezia Terme, Italy, around 150 travel agents and federation delegates discussed root tourism, cultural identity, AI, and technology for data marketing. Letizia Sinisi noted that root tourism is a significant business with 60-80 million Italian emigrant descendants worldwide, yet only a small percentage is tapped due to lack of specialized commercial structures. Recent data shows a 59.4% increase in travelers (9.9 million), a 59% increase in expenditure (€6.7 billion), and a 29.7% increase in overnight stays (78.6 million) related to root tourism. AI was presented as a time-saving tool for tourism businesses, and success stories of digital promotion were shared by Daniele Manetti from Sojern. Partners of Fiavet also contributed to the discussion.

💰 In Italy, short-term rentals are defined as contracts not exceeding 30 days. Two tax regimes are available: the Flat Tax (Cedolare Secca) with 21% on the first rental property and 26% from 2024 for additional properties, and the progressive IRPEF tax based on personal income ranges from 23% to 43%. The IRPEF regime allows deductions for property expenses, operational costs, and furnishings. Hosts must also collect tourist taxes, report guest information via Alloggiati Web, and may require VAT registration if operating as a business. Chekin offers automation tools for tax compliance and reducing administrative burdens.

🏨 Penisola Iberica, Italia, and Francia are leading destinations for hotel investments in Europe, with Madrid, Barcelona, and Rome being the most attractive cities. Prague (+14%), Munich (+8%), Milan (+4%), and Edinburgh (+4%) saw significant interest growth from the previous year. From 2019, investors have allocated over €16 billion in the sector. In 2025, 70% expect hotel price increases due to lower capital costs and increasing demand. Italy, with over €2 billion invested in 2024, ranks among the top four European countries. Preliminary data for Q1 2025 show a positive trend, possibly marking the best first quarter in 20 years with over €500 million in volumes. Investment strategies focus on value-add assets, with Rome and Milan being highly sought after. A "green premium" is expected for hotels with top ESG certifications, with investors willing to pay up to 5% more. Construction costs present a primary challenge, with 65% of investors concerned about geopolitical and macroeconomic risks.

🏖️ American Express survey reveals 59% of respondents plan 1-3 international trips and 74% aim for 1-3 domestic vacations this year. Millennial and Gen Z travelers prioritize meaningful trips, with 81% favoring family-focused destinations. Over half of Millennial and Gen Z parents plan to vacation with extended family, compared to under one-third of Gen X and baby boomer parents. Quality time is a key motive for 89%, while 83% of younger generations find AI helpful for booking, versus 64% of older cohorts.

🏖️ In Rome, foreign tourist presence grew by 9% during the Christmas holidays and January 2024, with Lazio also seeing an 8.7% increase. Easter is expected to bring record-breaking tourism in April, as room occupancy rates in January already exceeded half the available capacity for the Easter and spring holiday period. Six million nights have already been booked on Airbnb for stays between March and June, according to Isnart's reprocessing of AirDnA data.