TOP NEWS

🏦 Marriott International signed 290 new agreements for about 34,000 rooms and added over 180 properties to its EMEA portfolio in 2024, entering new markets in Luxembourg, Angola, and Senegal. The company's EMEA pipeline grew to 596 properties, totaling 104,731 rooms (a 10% increase from the previous year), with conversions accounting for 45% of the annual signings. Key development activity was noted in Denmark, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UK. In the luxury segment, 26 deals were signed, expanding the luxury project pipeline to over 80 hotels and resorts. Marriott's midscale EMEA brand, Four Points Flex by Sheraton, finalized 34 agreements in Europe. The premium segment with Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, and Marriott Hotels saw 50 combined agreements, while the selected service segment led by Courtyard by Marriott, Four Points by Sheraton, and Moxy Hotels signed 39. The residential segment recorded 11 projects, increasing the EMEA residential portfolio to 72 locations. Notable openings included Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Saudi Arabia, W Prague, The St. Regis in Serbia and Oman, and The Luxury Collection properties in Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Fairfield by Marriott Copenhagen Nordhavn marked the brand's first European property. Moxy Hotels celebrated ten years in Europe and debuted in Spain and Luxembourg, while Protea Hotel Lu

🌍 In 2025, 72% of travelers plan to go abroad, with Japan as the top destination (13%), followed by the USA (9.5%) and France (9%). Online research for hotels will begin with search engines for 36%, a 10% rise from 2024. OTA bookings will increase by 3% to 42%, while direct bookings decline by 1% to 27%. Standard rooms are preferred by 46%, loyalty programs influence 24% of travelers, and 92% will invest equal or more in accommodations. Event-driven travel grows, with 65% more inclined to travel for events, and 70% willing to pay extra for eco-friendly stays. Smart working during trips will be considered by 41%, and pet-friendly services are important for 46% of travelers. AI divides opinions; 12% support AI managing entire hotel operations. SiteMinder’s report is based on data from 12,000 travelers across 14 countries.

🛍 In Italy, the tax-free shopping threshold set at €70 leads to 2.4 million shopping tourists in 2024, a 14% increase from the previous year. Francesco di Cesare notes a total spend of €20-22 billion, with 27 outlets over 750,000 sqm (+4% in 2024, +6% forecast for 2025), 80 shopping streets, 74 department stores, and 1346 malls. The US leads purchases (20%, €123 average receipt), followed by German-speaking countries (28%, €85 average) and France (5%, €52 average), with UAE having the highest per capita spend (€366).

📍 At the ITB Berlin, Italian Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanchè outlined strategies for attracting German tourists, who are the primary market for Italy as per 2024 ENIT data. She emphasized creating diverse and engaging tourism offers, including sporting events like the Giro d'Italia, Ryder Cup, Milan-Cortina Olympics, and the Jubilee, which turns devotees into tourists. Santanchè also highlighted the importance of seasonal offerings, promotion of small villages, slow tourism, and wellness-related activities. Additionally, she stressed enhancing communication and using AI for storytelling and flow management to make Italy the top global tourist destination and boost the tourism industry. She commended Enit Spa for its significant progress and emphasized collaboration in elevating service quality.

🏖 Caroline Bremner, head of Travel and Tourism Research at Euromonitor, announced at the 2025 edition of Itb that tourism has fully recovered from 2019 levels and is breaking records, with a forecasted tourism spend of $5.5 trillion in 2025, including international and domestic travel. This spend is expected to generate an additional $1.1 trillion in value for the industry. Leading global market destinations include the USA, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, with significant interest in Saudi Arabia and continued attractiveness of the Emirates. Hong Kong and India are poised for notable growth. Emerging travel trends focus on immersive experiences, personal passions, AI technology for customized trips, and positive impacts on visited communities, challenging organized tourism players to align with sustainability and community-focused strategies.

🏆 During Carnival week 2025, over 1.2 million overnight stays were recorded in Italy's accommodations, contributing to tourists' spending of more than €250 million. These statistics, presented by the Centro Studi Turistici di Firenze for Assoturismo Confesercenti, highlight the cultural and economic significance of the festivities. Vittorio Messina, the president of Assoturismo, stressed the importance of promoting these traditions to fully capitalize on their tourist appeal.

🏖 On February 26th in Bari, during the 11th edition of the BTM, key figures like Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè, Puglia's Tourism Councilor Gianfranco Lopane, and others discussed "Innovations, big data, startups and dedicated business services: a new way to do tourism." Focus was on sustainability, new technologies, AI, and green tourism. The Minister highlighted AI for studying flows and efficiency, and recalled three calls to finance tourism startups under project Argo. Lalli emphasized the increasing role of technology and AI in travel, with AI poised to reshape customer experiences and offer personalized services, while automating significant operations.

🏖️ American tourists lead in high-end arrivals to Rome with 2.2 million in 2024, totaling over 5 million stays. Emerging international markets such as Brazil, South Africa, India, China, UAE, and Mexico show significant percentage growth. Last year, arrivals from South Africa increased by 22.9%, South America by 7.83%, and Southeast Asia by 6.13%. Notably, Slovakia surged with a 32.8% increase in arrivals. In the conference tourism sector, Rome ranks 7th globally with 119 congresses, up by 40 events from the previous year, surpassing other Italian cities and contributing to Italy's 2nd place worldwide, with 553 congresses, behind the USA.

🏠 Stefania Lazzaroni, General Director of Fondazione Altagamma, highlights that 60% of purchases from Italian brands are made by foreign visitors interested in the top market. Despite this, only 1% of national hotels in Italy are high-end, contributing 25% of the value at 25 billion euros, with potential to reach 100 billion. To capitalize, Altagamma suggests enhancing hotel offerings, creating personalized experiences, innovative transportation, and new communication strategies for Asian tourists.

📖 At the 20th edition of Identità Golose in Milan (February 22-24), hospitality took a central role, discussing the symbiosis between high-level accommodation and gastronomy. Panelists like Cinzia Primatesta Cannavacciuolo and Donato Ascani emphasized how fine dining enhances hotel reputation and finances. The conference also covered design's role in multifunctional hotels and sustainability in practices like energy efficiency and biodiversity preservation. Prominent industry figures shared insights on creating memorable experiences and positioning hotels as destinations.