TOP NEWS

🏕 22% of Italians, out of 30 million going on summer vacation, will choose outdoor locations like campsites and farmhouses, a 7% increase from 15% in 2023. The average holiday duration is 9 days, with August being the most popular month, followed by July and September. 62% favor the beach, while 78% will stay in Italy, with Tuscany, Puglia, and Sicily as top destinations. Tourist budgets have surged by up to €500 compared to last year.

🗺 Italy's passport ranks second in the Global Passport Ranking by Henley Passport Index, allowing 192 visa-free entries. Singapore leads with 195 visa-free entries. France, Germany, Japan, and Spain share the second spot with Italy. The United States fell from fifth to eighth place, now offering 186 visa-free entries. The UAE entered the top ten for the first time with visa-free access to 185 countries. Russia dropped to 45th with 116 visa-free entries, while Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan occupy the bottom positions with 31, 28, and 26 entries, respectively.

🎬 Italian amusement parks recorded 2023 as their best year ever, with a revenue increase of 11%, amounting to approximately €348 million. Visitor numbers rose by 6.39 percentage points, reaching 19,644,126. The average spending per guest increased by +4.2%, marking a +30% growth since 2019. Opening days in 2023 expanded by 14% compared to 2022. Live event investments for 2024 are estimated at €16.5 million by the Associazione Parchi Permanenti Italiani.

🏨 Hotel d'Inghilterra Roma – Starhotels Collezione, set in the heart of Rome near Piazza di Spagna and Via Condotti, will reopen on September 27 after a second extensive restyling phase, following last year's renovations. President Elisabetta Fabri led the restoration, maintaining the historic architectural elements and antique furnishings while reducing the room count from 84 to 80 to enhance luxury. The hotel now features a new SPA Suite, revamped restaurant Cafè Romano, and a sixth-floor Terrazza Romana offering panoramic views. Skilled artisans were involved in the restoration, part of the “La Grande Bellezza – The Dream Factory” project supporting Italian beauty and craftsmanship.

🚢 Summer 2023 sees skyrocketing ferry prices to Italian islands. Civitavecchia-Olbia route for a family with two children and a car surpasses €1,600. Livorno-Palermo and Genova-Palermo routes exceed €1,000, while Naples to the Aeolian Islands tops €900 without a cabin. Federalberghi Isole di Sicilia reports a 56% increase in state-contracted ferry and hydrofoil services, as per Christian Del Bono, president of the association, calling it a "sword of Damocles" for residents and tourism operators.

🏖️ Domestic travel dominates the tourism industry, with the US market generating $1 trillion (68% of total), China at $744 billion (74%), and Europe around 70%. Italy, the second European destination with 11% preference, saw 134 million arrivals and 451 million presences in the past year, up 3% from 2019, contributing 10% to its GDP. Key source markets include the US, Germany, UK, China, and France, totaling 38% of global tourists, with emerging markets in India and Southeast Asia. Upcoming destinations to watch are Saudi Arabia, India, Japan, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia. The trends focus on luxury, unique experiences, and sustainability, requiring trained personnel and public-private coordination.

🚢 Uber Boat debuts in Venice, partnering with local operators offering rental services with drivers for cars and motorboats. This new service allows up to 6 passengers plus the skipper on dedicated boats, utilizing around 200 authorized docking piers in the Venice Lagoon. Users can book boat rides directly via the Uber app, customizing their pickup and drop-off locations. Lorenzo Pireddu, General Manager of Uber Italy, highlights this launch as a milestone, showcasing Uber's commitment to expanding mobility options since February's introduction of Uber Black and Taxi in major Veneto cities.

🚀 Lilium, Sea, and Skyports Infrastructure signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop a network of vertiports for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft in Lombardy and Northern Italy. Lilium's electric air taxi can carry 6 passengers plus a pilot, flies at 248 km/h, covers 175 km, and recharges in 45 minutes, pending EASA certification. Lombardy, with a fifth of Italy's population and over 37 million visitors annually, targets a vertiport network operational by 2027. The first route will connect Milan Malpensa Airport, with its 26 million passengers, to central Milan. A joint venture company is being formed for vertiport development and operations.

🏎 Leonardo Hotels partners with Ferrari Club Passione Rossa on September 12, launching 'From Rome to Paris in Red' event. 30 branded Ferraris will initiate a four-day journey from Rome's Leonardo Boutique Hotel Rome Termini, stopping at Lazise's Leonardo Hotel Lago di Garda - Wellness and Spa, and ending in Paris at the recently opened Leonardo Boutique Hotel Paris Opera. Rafi Carmon (Country General Manager Italy, France & Hungary) and Fabio Barone (Founder of Passione Rossa) highlight the partnership's aim to provide high-level experiences and explore new destinations.

🏕 Kylie Jenner vacationed in Tuscany, attended Andrea Bocelli's 30th-anniversary celebration, and then moved to Venice. Sofia Vergara stayed in Forte dei Marmi, met Eros Ramazzotti, and saw a Bocelli concert. Gwyneth Paltrow started her Italian tour in Elba and proceeded to Umbria. Will Smith was present at a Coldplay concert in Rome and a Bocelli event. The Beckhams enjoyed Sardinia, nearing their 25th wedding anniversary. Jennifer Lopez chose the Amalfi Coast, Margot Robbie visited before Wimbledon, and Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom were in Porto Cervo before the French Riviera.