TOP NEWS

👤 George and Amal Clooney host an exclusive philanthropic experience for 16 guests at Lake Como to support the Clooney Foundation for Justice. Over $1 million to be raised. Activities include private dinners, a garden party, high-level discussions, access to historic villas, cultural monuments, and a curated show at the iconic Sociale theater in Como, culminating with a farewell brunch.

🏡 Italy shines in the 2025 Forbes Star Award with 91 hotels recognized, including luxury hotels and spas from Rome to the Dolomites. New entries include Castelfalfi with 5 stars, Hotel Pitrizza with 4 stars, and two spas, RAKxa Wellness Spa at Castelfalfi and The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como, each with 4 stars. The country boasts 19 establishments with the coveted 5-star rating, highlighting destinations like Belmond Caruso, J.K. Place Rome, and the Cipriani in Venice.

🏠 Angelika Schmid, owner of Villa Eden, leads luxury hospitality for Better Aging at the Adults Only Leading Hotel of the World in Merano. With over 30 years of experience, Schmid oversees the retreat with a 65% international clientele and a 2024 turnover nearing €5 million with around 80 team members. Post-winter, Villa Eden will reopen on March 14 with a Total Makeover by designer Luca Miazzo, including an expanded spa and medical facilities. The renovation follows a €1.7 million investment in 2023 for a kitchen remodel, energy optimization, and new suites. Villa Eden features 25 exclusive "adults-only" suites, prices ranging from €300 to €1,300 per person per day, and weekly health plans starting at €2,950. The retreat boasts a Michelin-star-aspiring restaurant, "The Tasting Room," under Executive Chef Marcello Corrado. Villa Eden, established in 1982, achieved two Michelin Keys in 2024, symbolizing its commitment to excellence.

🏔 Italian travelers prefer mountain destinations: Livigno, Madonna di Campiglio, and Cortina d’Ampezzo see search increases of +32%, +30%, and +18% respectively in winter 2025 compared to winter 2024. Bormio follows with a +19% surge. In contrast, global GenZ travelers favor undiscovered warm beach locations, with Praia Grande and Porto Seguro in Brazil gaining popularity in winter 2025. Young explorers seek regenerative nature experiences like horseback riding and forest bathing.

🎭 Italian cultural tourism shines in 2025, with top visitors from Italy (34.8%, down 1%), Germany (6.8%), France (6.1%), UK (4.5%), and Spain (4.4%). Couples make up 45%, followed by families (29%), groups (14%), and singles (12%). Digital footprint dropped by 14% in 2024, from 10.7 million to 9.2 million pieces of content. Trevi Fountain's new walkway, opened in 2024, attracted 14,000 in its first weekend, collecting €4,600 for charity. The Museo Leonardo da Vinci in Florence outperformed known institutions, doubling its digital footprint in 2024. General sentiment for Italian cultural offerings scored 86/100, with cities like Florence, Milan, Rome, Venice, and Naples exceeding 90/100. Despite a slight dip in 2024 saturation, direct booking rates increased by 6-7%.

🎯 Italy is discussed as a shopping tourism destination at the 8th edition of Shopping Tourism forum organized by Risposte Turismo with Enit on February 28. Italian shopping tourism represents about 2% of total tourist arrivals, with high spending capacity. Outlet commercial space reached 750,000 sqm in 2024, a 4% increase from the previous year, and is expected to grow by 7% in 2025 with a new outlet in Rome. Via Montenapoleone in Milan leads in annual rental values at about €20,000 in 2024, up from 6th place in 2014. Over 70% of American shopping tourists travel more than once for shopping, with 31% doing so four or more times. 45% of these tourists also travel for special events like fashion weeks or Black Friday. 65% of U.S. tourists are interested in guided artisan workshop tours, while 61% are interested in food and wine product workshops.

📖 Identità Milano 2025 on February 23 discussed organic lifestyles and eating disorder issues, agriculture, and tourism's role in traveler experiences and community development in Italy's rural areas. The event included a conference with Paolo Marchi (Identità Golose founder), 3-star Michelin chef Massimiliano Alajmo, and other notable participants. An agreement was signed between Campagna Amica, Terranostra, and Identità Golose to promote Italian local products. Italy leads Europe in organic production, with 27% of its agritourism facilities offering organic products, double the area compared to non-multifunctional farms. Half of Italy's travelers seek authentic experiences, accelerated by a post-pandemic interest in sustainable tourism.

🏖 Destination Italia integrated Trip Builder into Hubcore.AI, enhancing the operational and administrative efficiency of travel designers. This integration is expected to cut tailor-made processing time by 70%, improve response times, focus on sales rather than procedures, and increase the conversion rate by 20%. Additionally, it predicts a 10% increase in average transaction value, a 1% rise in profit margins, and a 10% reduction in operational costs. Hubcore.AI, now equipped with Trip Builder, offers a comprehensive tool that enriches proposals with high-margin experiential in-house products beyond just accommodation.

🏖️ Rovaniemi, Lapponia, experienced a 400% increase in flights in December over two years, with room rates reaching €370. Saudi Arabia surpassed 100 million tourists in 2023, a 12% increase over 2023 and 56% over 2019. Japan saw a 15% rise in visitors in 2024. Morocco attracted 17.4 million tourists in 2024, up 20%, leading African destinations. Brazil reported a 12.6% increase in international visitors in 2024, totaling 6.6 million.

🍴 The 20th edition of Identità Golose, founded in 2005 by Paolo Marchi and Claudio Ceroni, will take place in Milan from February 22 to 24. It will focus on contemporary culinary trends with renowned chefs and food industry leaders. The event will also emphasize hospitality, featuring the Cluster Hotellerie curated by Elisabetta Canoro, and will introduce new experiences like the Bar Experience and the Salone del Vino, across 13,000 square meters at the Mi.Co. Nord venue.