TOP NEWS

🏡 Virtuoso luxury travel network reported a 25% sales increase in 2024 over the previous year, with expectations of further growth in 2025 and 2026. Sales surged by 239% compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019. Customer booking habits show a 124-day average booking window, up 6%, and a 57% rise in high-ticket bookings over $50,000. Safari and cruise bookings at the same price level jumped by 48% and 64%, respectively.

🏖️ Daniela Santanchè, Italy's Tourism Minister, at 'Turismo: una filiera chiamata Italia' conference, emphasizes quality tourism, not just luxury, but excellent services and authentic experiences. Positive tourism data from 2023, with 2024 following suit, show foreign presence increase, with Italy remaining a top destination. Major challenge: quality over quantity. 1.38 billion euros allocated from PNRR to improve accommodations, with government support for travel agencies and regulations for short-term rentals under CIN.

🎵 Over 6,750 tourists will flock to Sanremo for the Festival starting February 11, generating 34,646 stays with a 5.1-night average. The economic impact of the Sanremo Festival 2025, calculated by JFC di Massimo Feruzzi, is estimated at €184.1 million. Direct economic benefits for Sanremo are around €20 million; indirect impacts at €10 million, and induced benefits at nearly €7.8 million. Additionally, €7.5 million is estimated for supply chain legacy, €43.5 million for brand valorization, and €95.5 million for media visibility. Most benefits (90.6%) will befall Sanremo, with 9.4% affecting surrounding areas.

🏖️ Daniela Santanché is optimistic about the future of Italian tourism, pointing to the potential of new technologies, including AI, to enhance the industry's efficiency, resilience, and competitiveness. Italy's AI market is valued at over 674 million euros, with a projected 35% growth by 2024 and an estimate reaching nearly 2 billion euros by 2027. The Ministry published two tenders worth almost 13 million euros for professional training and excellence projects in tourism. Argo, the ministry's startup accelerator, has propelled 17 startups, collecting almost 4 million euros and initiating over 30 industrial collaboration projects.

🚧 Trenord personnel to strike for 24 hours starting February 5, with services beginning at 3 a.m. and ending at 2 a.m. the following day. The strike, called by Orsa union, may affect regional, suburban, airport, and long-distance services. Replacement buses between Milano Cadorna and Malpensa Airport for the Malpensa Express, as well as Stabio and Malpensa Airport for the S50 connection, will be provided in case of airport service train cancellations. Real-time updates and a list of guaranteed trains during the strike are available on Trenord's website and app.

🏖️ Regione Lombardia focuses on strategic tourism planning through data analysis and monitoring for its 12 provinces. Barbara Mazzali, the regional councilor for tourism, emphasizes the importance of updated data and predictive analysis for service personalization and dynamic pricing of flights and accommodations. The creation of the 'Osservatorio per il Turismo e l’Attrattività regionale' and partnerships with the Lombard Chamber System and Global Blue aim to boost shopping tourism and attract international visitors.

📅 A new click day for the "decreto flussi" is approaching, allowing the tourism and hospitality sector to request additional quotas of foreign seasonal workers for the upcoming summer season. The click day is scheduled for Wednesday, February 12. Companies can apply for the first 70% of the entries provided by the decree for 2025, with another click day for the remaining 30% planned for October 1.

🏆 Italy introduces a licensing exam for tourist guides, fulfilling a promise after over ten years. The exam, as per Law No. 190 dated December 13, 2023, was published on January 28, with over 4,000 candidates expected. It consists of a written test on various subjects, an oral exam in at least one foreign language, and a practical test simulating a guided tour. Successful candidates will be listed in the national registry at the Ministry of Tourism. Applications are to be submitted via the "inPA" portal within 30 days of the announcement.

🏖️ International arrivals returned to pre-Covid levels in 2024, with spending growth estimated at 4%. Tour operator volume rose by 9%, transport increased by 10%, and the receptive sector grew by 5%. E-commerce growth slowed to +5%. Air transport market surged by 10%, with a real growth driven by passenger increase, especially in the air sector, which represents two-thirds of the entire industry. Despite an 11% increase in transactions, airfares decreased by 2.1%, while car rental prices dropped by 1% with a 7% volume increase. Ground transport prices rose by 4.5% with an 11% transaction increase. Hospitality in Italy achieved approximately €38 billion, up 5%, propelled by higher prices, strong incoming traffic, and a resurgence in business travel. The open-air segment grew by 3%. Organized tourism with tour operators and travel agencies scored a +9%, with package costs up by an average of 12%. Forecasts predict further growth, especially in air transport by approximately 8%, while hospitality, tour operators, and agencies might see a +6% increase.

🏢 New Deal Europe, set for March 25, 2025, at the Congress Centre in London, aims to be the largest in-person business event for Southeast Europe and the Balkans. In 2024, over 90 buyers and 65 suppliers attended, a 30% increase from the previous year. Albania welcomed over 10 million foreign visitors, while Slovenia surpassed pre-pandemic levels by 2023 with a 2% increase from 2019. The event has 10 additional spots for suppliers due to early sell-out, marking it as the most attended edition yet.