TOP NEWS

⛷ Monterosa Ski's 2024/25 ski season, ending on Easter Monday, surpassed the 2023/24 figures, resembling pre-Covid numbers. Despite adverse weather, the season set a new record for first-time entries. The Monterosa Ski Tre Valli area, including Champoluc-Frachey, Gressoney-La-Trinité - Staffal, and Alagna Valsesia, recorded 650,000 first-time entries, a 4.3% increase over last year and 3.7% above the previous 2016/17 record. Multi-day ski pass sales grew by 11.4% to 56,304, and 6-day passes increased by 7.3% to 17,390. Luciano Zanetta, president of Monterosa2000 S.p.A., attributes success to multi-day passes and dynamic pricing strategies.

📅 7 billion euros invested in Rome and Lazio for the Jubilee. 🏤 Rome expects 524,500 visitors and 1.2 million tourist stays during April 25-May 1 period. 📊 Jubilee projected to bring 35 million arrivals, 105 million stays, and a spend of nearly 17 billion euros in Rome. 💰 Economic benefits anticipated from tourism and infrastructure improvements.

🏖️ 14.2 million Italians are expected to travel on April 25 and May 1, with an average holiday duration of 5.1 days, up from 3.8 days last year. They will generate a turnover of €7.2 billion with an average spend of €504 per person. Peak departures are on April 24 (7.4 million) and between April 26-30 (3.5 million), favoring beach locales for 87.2% staying in Italy and 12.8% heading abroad. Despite the positive trend, 38% of Italians have cut expenses due to rising living costs.

🏖 Destination Italia's Gross Travel Value (GTV) reached €21.2 million in Q1 2025, a 29% increase from €16.3 million in Q1 2024. The B2B channel recorded a GTV of €18.5 million (+30% from Q1 2024), while B2C saw €2.7 million (+27%). Brokerage Margin was €2.3 million, up 34% from €1.7 million. Dina Ravera, president of Destination Italia, aligns these numbers with the 2025 goals: production value (€75-90 million) and EBITDA (€3-4.5 million) set on October 31, 2024. Hubcore.AI launched recently, and an agreement with Italcares, a leader in medical tourism, was announced.

🖤 In Rome, due to Pope Francis' funeral, consumer associations report accommodation prices surging by up to a thousand euros for the night of Saturday near the Vatican, compared to the weekends before and after. Giuseppe Roscioli, president of Federalberghi Roma, acknowledges slight price increases but finds rates lower than in 2024. Despite high season, the event compensates for many cancellations. Carrani's CEO Roberto Pannozzi and Acampora Travel confirm slight rate hikes, attributed to Easter, holidays, the Jubilee, and the Pope's death.

🏖 Assoturismo Confesercenti expects 6.1 million overnight stays for the Festa della Liberazione weekend, up by 500,000 from 2024. During Easter and spring bridges, Italy will see 27.5 million tourist presences, a 1.6% increase from the previous year. Foreign tourists are behind a 2.4% rise, particularly from Europe, while Asian bookings decline. Cities of art will attract 36% of visits, with a 1.3% growth. Lake locations (+2.8%), coastal (+1.9%), rural and hill (+1.8%), mountain (+1.9%), thermal (+1.5%), and other areas (+1%) also forecast positive trends. Northern Western regions, the South, and Islands are top tourist preferences.

🏨 Meininger Hotel adapts hospitality with hybrid concept targeting modern explorers and new generations, offering both hotel comforts and hostel social atmosphere. Philippe Pellan, regional director, emphasizes flexibility, quality, and environmental responsibility. With four hotels in Italy—Venice, Rome, two in Milan—the brand considers Italy, Austria, and France as strong markets after Germany and seeks expansion in Naples, Bologna, Genoa, Florence and a second in Rome. Despite no finalized deals, they are open to growth. Meininger confronts personnel shortages, particularly seasonal roles, by promoting job openings and fostering a people-centric company culture with personal and professional growth opportunities. Commitment to DEI, flexible work schedules, and employee well-being through digital tools like OpenUp are key strategies.

🏠 On April 18, 2025, the Italian State Council ruled (sentence no. 2928/2025) that non-entrepreneurial tourist rentals do not fall within the powers of municipal inhibitions, preventing local regulations on the matter. Elisabetta Fabri, President of Associazione Italiana Confindustria Alberghi, stressed the strong social impact of unchecked tourist rentals in Italy's cities and the urgent need for national regulation to allow mayors to act based on concrete data, with tools like the National Database of Accommodation Facilities and National Identification Code available for sector monitoring.

🏖️ In Italy's 2025 outdoor tourism season, international presences are expected to hit 38 million, up 1% from 2024, surpassing domestic figures of 29.7 million, which are down 2%. Overall, 67.7 million presences are anticipated, contributing €4.97 billion in direct spending and nearly double that at €8.85 billion when including indirect expenses. The market's resilience is emphasized by the need for innovation in the tourist experience, as noted by Domenico Montano of Human Company.

🕊 Ferrovie dello Stato will enhance train connections in Rome for Pope Francis' funeral on Saturday, April 26 at 10 a.m. An extraordinary plan has been prepared to accommodate the influx of followers wishing to bid farewell to the Pope. Services will be bolstered for long-distance travel and airport routes in collaboration with Civil Protection, which coordinates emergency and logistical efforts. Busitalia will activate charter services and intermodal solutions for station access. Extraordinary presences will be established at key stations including Roma Termini, Tiburtina, Ostiense, San Pietro, Valle Aurelia, Fiumicino, and Civitavecchia to manage crowds and assist travelers, with Sala Blu offering free assistance for those with reduced mobility.