TOP NEWS

🏖️ Over the April 30-May 4 period, at least 10 million travelers, including nationals and foreigners, visited Italy, generating over €4 billion in business. Six million stayed overnight in accommodations, with international tourists, mainly from the USA, Central Europe, UK, and Asian countries, reaching 2.5 million. The average stay was three nights for nationals and four for foreigners, indicating growth. Notably, 600,000 stays were recorded in 26,000 agritourism establishments.

🏖 In Italy, the single traveler market is worth over €1 billion and caters to 8.4 million singles, a number that is steadily rising. Singles, especially those between 35-55 years old, possess more free time and economic resources. Despite a 4.3% increase in average monthly consumption to €2,738 and a nominal annual family income rise to €37,511 in 2023, real terms saw a 1.6% decline. Yet, singles maintain strong spending capacity, making them valuable for the travel industry, particularly for cultural, sports, wellness, and social experiences.

🏖️ Alessandra Priante, president of Enit for over a year, aims to elevate Italy to the top of the global tourist destinations, as stated by Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè. Enit promotes diverse offerings like food, nature, and sports tourism to balance tourist flows and prevent saturation. In 2025, trends include experiential and sustainable tourism, outdoor adventures, and slow travel, with wellness tourism also on the rise. The Global Summit of the Wttc will be in Rome in September 2025, showcasing Italy as a prime business tourism spot. Emerging markets like Vietnam and South American countries show robust growth, with Southern Italian art cities gaining popularity among Millennials. Enit suggests visa policy improvements for Asian tourists, particularly from China and India, to boost these markets. The full interview with forecasts and promising markets is available on TTG Italy's digital edition.

📍 Expedia's Taap program launches a new promotion for partner travel agencies in May, offering exclusive discounts of at least 25% on thousands of hotels worldwide. Agents must book by May 26, 2025, for travel by September 30, 2025. Expedia Taap works with over 160,000 travel agents globally, featuring more than 3 million accommodations, 170,000 tours, activities, and attractions, plus services from 110 car rental companies and 500 airlines.

🏖️ In 2024, Italian tourism generated 13% employment, set to increase to nearly 16% by 2034. Events like the Jubilee and Milan Cortina Winter Olympics boosted numbers, according to Enit. Minister Daniela Santanchè credited the Meloni government for reaching 80% of their tourism agenda. Employee shortage dropped from 350,000 in 2022 to about 260,000 in 2024. Istat reported nearly 2 million tourism-related jobs in 2024, a 2% increase from 2023, surpassing 3 million total jobs. Unioncamere forecasts a high job demand in the sector, predicting up to 683,000 vacancies by 2029, about 18% of the total job demand.

🏨 Francesco Calia, Head of Hospitality Italy at Cushman & Wakefield, highlights Rome's dynamic market with over 5,000 new rooms planned. Cushman & Wakefield, as exclusive advisor, facilitated the sale of a lifestyle hotel property located near key Roman landmarks. The hotel, owned by a primary institutional investor, was acquired by a family office and is managed by a leading European operator. The property boasts over 100 rooms, approximately 350 beds, distinctive 19th-century architecture, and has achieved LEED Gold certification after renovations in 2016 and 2018. Rome ranks as the third most investable hotel market in Europe, according to the European Hotel Investor Compass 2025 survey of over 60 global investors.

🌍 Despite inflation, Italy maintains its allure as a top global travel destination. Brazilian and Spanish tour operators report sustained high demand, with significant interest from Brazil due to its large Italian-descendant population. In the U.S., travel to Italy isn't growing much, with a normalization after exceptional years in 2023 and 2024. Chinese travelers show segmented behavior: mid-class families delay trips, while high spenders remain stable. The upcoming summer may clarify trends, especially for the cautious American market.

🏡 Dubai welcomed 5.31 million international visitors from January to March 2025, a 3% annual increase from the same period in 2024, adding to a 9% overall growth with 18.72 million overnight international tourists in 2024. Western Europe was the top source market with 1.15 million visitors (22%), followed by CIS and Eastern Europe (891,000 - 17%), GCC (772,000 - 15%), South Asia (752,000 - 14%), MENA (620,000 - 12%), Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia (474,000 - 9%), Americas (374,000 - 7%), Africa (197,000 - 4%), and Australasia (78,000 - 1%). Dubai's Average Daily Rate (ADR) in hospitality increased by 2%, and the Dubai Sustainable Tourism initiative awarded the DST Stamp to 153 hotels, a 118% increase from the previous 70 hotels recognized. A new campaign "Find Your Story" featuring Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi was launched in April 2025 by DET.

🏗️ Ivana Jelinic of Enit reported Italy's tourism growth at Dubai's Arabian Travel Market, forecasting 964,440 arrivals from the Middle East for January-December 2025, a 21.1% increase over the previous year. The UAE, the main source, is expected to contribute 310,302 arrivals, 32.2% of the total, marking over a 16% increase. Italy leads as a luxury tourism destination with high-end shopping being a key draw. Italian cultural and shopping tourism are highly visible online in the Middle East, with Italy receiving the most positive sentiment and social media likes.

📌 Emilia Romagna finds government measures for regulating short-term rentals insufficient and plans to enact a regional law by the end of the year. Housing and Tourism councilors Giovanni Paglia and Roberta Frisoni are involving local entities, unions, and category associations in discussions for drafting this law, targeting urban planning, which allows municipalities to control where short-term rentals can be permitted or restricted. Invitations for input have been extended to major platforms like Airbnb, which has not yet responded. The goal is to balance housing availability for families and workers while maximizing tourist hospitality, addressing a significant issue in Bologna where short-term rental accommodations are rapidly increasing.