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ANNO II - N. 2-3 7-9 NOVEMBER 2022

ALLEGATO A TRAVEL QUOTIDIANO N. 50-51-52 DEL 2-4-9 NOVEMBRE 2022 POsTE ITALIANE sPA - sPED. IN ABB. POsT. D.L. 353/2003 (cONV. IN L. 27.02.2004, N° 46), ART. 1, cOMMA 1, c1-TR-0143 PREzzO PER cOPIA € 0,10

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WTM 2022 EDITION

Lecce.

The Sentinel of Beauty

2

Italia MILAN - Inbound operator Italia Highlights will celebrate its first ten years in business with the opening of a Milan office that will develop new corporate contacts as well as activities related to top-end services and products. The company is also launching the new season with a completely revamped website. Thanks to the «concrete consolidation of the recovery,» the aim is «the development of an increasingly top-end product that reaches out to new clients. Our estimated growth for 2023 is +20%,» says Luca Carnesecchi, owner and managing director of the Castagneto Carducci operator, who has 25 years of experience in inbound travel.

10 years of luxury tailor-made experiences BY

t NEWS

t TOURISM INDUSTRY Operators

MARIELLA CATTANEO

The focus is on: Tuscany and the Italy of excellence

Unique tours with charming hotels, villas and residences

Luca Carnesecchi

The focus is on «Tuscany and the Italy of excellence. Everything is strictly tailor-made, from customized tours for small groups to private events - for groups of friends or corporate and incentive gatherings, also working with professional artists and musicians - to independent travelers looking for new experiences.» The common denominator is «uniqueness and exclusivity, whether it be the discovery of a winery, or a bike tour along the coast. All complemented by charming accommodation, from classic 4 and 5-star hotels to a selection of private villas with swimming

Highlights

t INSPIRATIONS

pools, historic residences and boutique hotels in various Italian destinations such as Tuscany, Lombardy, Piedmont and Lazio.»

«Relais dei Molini in Bolgheri will get new suites and concierge services»

Like the Relais dei Molini: a charming B&B owned by Italia Highlights with only seven rooms and suites and views from Bolgheri’s world-famous DOC vineyards to the sea. «In the short-medium term we will be adding more suites and concierge services.» Also in the pipeline is the exclusive marketing of a new property, also in Castagneto, set to open in spring 2023.

Partner of the Global Golf Tourism Organization

The new site, «which is still evolving,» fully reflects the operator’s philosophy which is «purely B2B, and aimed at the up-level market segment. We see the site as a way of making our company, product format and programmes known, also through an emotional area called Get Inspired. We are increasingly targeting the luxury segment. Being small we are flexible and able to customize.»

Small maybe...but with a turnover of €2 million pre-Covid, and with 2022 the first real year of recovery, «already close to prepandemic figures.» Italia Highlights has also just partnered as a golf tour operator and DMC with Iagto (International Association of Golf Tour Operators) in anticipation of the Ryder Cup which will be held in Rome in 2023.

Touring Italy on Trenitalia’s high-speed trains

Another fundamental element of the leisure programme, which privileges wine tourism and outdoor activities as part of a compendium of varied experiences and activities, are the tours of Italy by train. «We are one of Trenitalia’s main tour operator partners, and our itineraries are a voyage of discovery around the country. The excellence of the high-speed trains matches our equally excellent experiences and tailormade services, from arrivals in stations to suitable accommodation and transfers with mini vans.» dmc@italiahighlights.com

Itali BY

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Leisure

Gino Acampora, President Acampora Travel:

s r e y a l p l a c Lo r e h t e g o t k r o w t m us

ROME - Acampora Travel, the Sorrento-based tour operator had a good summer, with many European and Eastern European arrivals from mid-July to the end of September. «At the beginning of the year I took Acampora Travel and some of our clients back from Tui. Working with Tui we learned a lot. They are an exceptional group, and I hope they also learned from us,» said president Gino Acampora. «Unfortunately UK visors were missing this summer due to the quarantine measures.»

One big difference, added Acampora, is that people no longer want to travel in big groups. «They are happier with smaller numbers, so we are getting requests for groups of 15 to 20.»

The Cilento region has something for everyone

One region that is really taking off, according to Acampora, is the Cilento, the beautiful coast in the Campania region below Salerno. After the Jesolo area in Emilia Romagna the CIlento has Requests Italy’s highest concentration of and bookings camping sites and holiday villafor smaller groups ges as well as hotels of all le«2022 is going to be a year of vels. «We are investing in our transition but we should return Palinuro hotel by adding 23 to normal in 2023. We are al- new rooms,» said Acampora. ready receiving a lot of requests and bookings, after two years The Salerno Costa without travel people really want to get on the move again. d’Amalfi Airport is And there is a lot of interest in to get an extended the classical Italian destinations and also for weddings from Eu- runway rope, the US and now the UK.» In 2024 the runway of the Sa-

lerno Costa d’Amalfi airport, which is just 20 kilometres from Salerno, will be extended, making the Cilento more easily accessible. «Apart from the sea the Cilento has internal areas that are as beautiful as Sardinia, a wonderful National Park and amazing wines and foods, and even in the shoulder months and in winter the climate is mild.»

We must work together to everyone’s advantage

Traditionally the Cilento’s season lasts from May to September but Acampora says it has to be stretched to at least mid-October. «If there is no supply there can be no demand. We can attract visitors in the autumn months, but not if 80% of shops and restaurants close at the end of September. The local players have to understand this and work together to everyone’s advantage.»

Cilento takes off

l The Region has Italy’s highest concentration of camping sites and holiday villages as well as hotels of all levels l In 2024 the runway of the Salerno Costa d’Amalfi airport, which is just 20 kilometres from Salerno, will be extended, making the Cilento more easily accessible

l Traditionally the Cilento’s season lasts from May to September but Acampora says it has to be stretched to at least mid-October

Verdesicilia

2022 is going to be a year of transition but we should return to normal in 2023.

Gino Acampora

g n i w s p u e h t A summer on e t u n i m t s a l y but mostl

We work with the Italian market, but 92% of our clients are international, from the Spanish, Portuguese, English and French-speaking markets.

Ivan Sabella

PALERMO - Verdesicilia, the Sicilian tour operator had a summer on the upswing although most of the bookings were last-minute, says sales and marketing manager Ivan Sabella.

Tailor-made travel for international markets

«The last-minute bookings did, of course, cause some operational difficulties. We work with the Italian market, but 92% of

our clients are international, from the Spanish, Portuguese, English and French-speaking markets. We specialize in tailor-made products, although we also provide services throughout Italy for individuals, groups, regular tours and also incentives.»

«Energy costs will impact on growth»

Asked if he thinks the higher cost of

energy will impact on the growth of tourism Sabella replied: «The prices of flights and hotel rooms as well as of other forms of transport like buses and ships, will without any doubt be an obstacle to growth.»

The Verdesicilia Group includes the Autoservizi Giordano bus company, and Fly and Visit Tours which specializes in incentive and congress travel.

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t NEWS Cities and Regions

Terre di Urbino e Montefeltro Celebrating the duke and the region’s unspoiled beauty

URBINO - Urbino and its surrounding unspoiled region, known as the Terre d'Urbino e del Montefeltro, are the northern part of the Marche region, consisting of historical towns and mountain villages that were part of the former Duchy of Urbino. This year Italy is celebrating the 600 years of the birth of Frederico di Montefeltro, the duke and ruler who built the city of Urbino together with other fortified towns, magnificent castles, palaces and churches.

Urbino was a Renaissance cultural capital

Frederico di Montefeltro was one of the great figures of the Italian Renaissance who, in the 15th century, transformed Urbino into a cultural capital, calling great artists, architects, poets and philosophers to his court. This year he is the perfect testimonial for the many exciting tourist itineraries planned as part of

the celebrations for his birth.

Many Italian and international visitors came to the area this summer attracted by the unique mix of history, art, nature and culinary delights of this charming region.

There were many Italians of course, but also a return of foreign visitors, especially the Dutch, Austrians and Germans, but also American, French and English tourists

Amerigo Varotti

«Foreign visitors were up 130% this summer»

«Tourism went very well this year, - says Amerigo Varotti, president of Confturismo Terre di Urbino e del Montefeltro. – There were many Italians of course, but also a return of foreign visitors, especially the Dutch, Austrians and Germans, but also American, French and English tourists. Taking into

account that the Marche region, - Varotti continued, has a limited presence of international arrivals compared to the rest of Italy, this summer we registered 130% more foreign visitors, with Urbino itself standing out as a pole of attraction.»

September is drawing a record number of visitors

«We will have a complete picture only by the end of the year, as the season is still not over. September is drawing higher than usual numbers, with many visitors now enjoying fairs and festivals, from those featuring the prized white truffle, to beer and

cheese events. Many also come for outdoors activities, discovering the unspoiled beauty of the region.»

A land of stunning landscapes

«Biking and trekking and another popular novelty, gravel biking, are attracting sporting enthusiasts to the Cesane Forest, the Furlo Gorge and Mount Nerone, Mount Catria and Mount Petrano mountain ranges. Here you can still see landscapes as they were painted by Raphael, Piero della Francesca and Leonardo da Vinci. Not many people realize that the landscape behind Leonardo’s world-famous portrait of Mona Lisa is Montefeltro.»

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t NEWS t TOURISM INDUSTRY Transportation and Tips

ls i a s s t i n i d n i w e e r w it h t h A summfor the SNAV shipping group

Positive results also for the Aeolian and Pontine Islands, and for sales on crossings to and from Croatia.

On the Adriatic line SNAV is reaping the benefits of its sales campaign based on many promotional fares.

Then there is the flourishing

Pesto

Giuseppe Langella

A flourishing partnership with the Croatian Tourist Board

is passion

There are many new features for 2023.

Some of these will be for travel agents, for whom we have a really interesting programme of incentives and commission schemes.

MILAN - The 2022 season certainly put the winds in the sails of SNAV, the private shipping group headed by Neapolitan shipowner Gianluigi Aponte.

«The summer that is drawing to a close has been one of great recovery after two years conditioned by the pandemic and the increase in fuel prices due to the conflict in Ukraine. We have come close to 2019 levels, - comments Giuseppe Langella, managing director of SNAV Spa. - Our ships have so far recorded excellent load factors, particularly on the routes to Ischia-Casamicciola and Procida as regards the Gulf of Naples, where the connections to Capri have also confirmed their traditional success.»

partnership with the Croatian Tourist Board which promotes the area through media and radio campaigns on the Italian market.

«The desire to travel again has continued to grow»

The sales targets for the SNAV lines range from the holidaymaker and the daily excursionist to the tourist holidaying in a camper for several days or weeks.

«In any case, - adds Langella, -

the desire to travel again has continued to grow, as has the request for all kinds of services.

SNAV has responded to these in the best possible way, even doubling the number of crossings where necessary in certain periods, such as to Croatia for example.»

Incentives and commission schemes for travel agents

Among the company’s strengths are the formulas pro-

viding guarantees to passengers, such as Zero Pensieri which allows cancellations for unforeseen complications or personal problems at zero cost up to 48 hours prior to departure.

«There are many new features for 2023 - concludes SNAV’s CEO. - Some of these will be for travel agents, for whom we have a really interesting programme of incentives and commission schemes.

For us the trade is a privileged channel.»

Fleet and connections

The SNAV fleet consists of hydrofoils, catamarans, fast ships and Ro-Ro drive-on ferries.

Seasonal connections Ancona - Split by ferry from May to October Naples - Aeolian Islands by fast ferry from May to September Naples - Ventone/Ponza by fast ship from June to September

All year daily high-speed connections in the Bay of Naples Naples - Capri Naples - Ischia Casamicciola Naples - Procida Castellammare - Capri Sorrento – Capri

at Creattivando’s experiential workshops ROME - Creattivando’s the Funny Pesto Experience workshops are experiential events for adults and children in selected venues in the historical center of Genoa. They are a unique way to learn the techniques and methods for making genuine Genovese pesto in a mortar.

Understand pesto and you’ll understand Genoa and Liguria

Pesto sauce is the symbol of Genoa and to make it you need basil, pine nuts, a mortar and a pestle.

«But pesto is also a passion, and we want to transmit this to our guests, - says CEO Cristina Robello. - Discovering the traditions of pesto is a unique way to understand Genova and the Liguria region which is rich in art and history and is set between the hills and the sea.»

At the workshops what you make is what you eat

Creattivando’s cooking workshops start with buying the fresh produce in a local market.

The attention to detail and se-

Mario Clavarino and Cristina Robello

We started Creattivando in 2013, firmly believing in the Genoa and Liguria brands, and over 1,000 visitors have confirmed that our model is on-target

Mario Clavarino

Discovering the traditions of pesto is a unique way to understand Genova and the Liguria region which is rich in art and history and is set between the hills and the sea

Cristina Robello

lection of ingredients are key elements, leaving nothing to chance to make sure that each time it is a truly unique and unforgettable experience.

But it is also about more than pesto, as there is the chance to learn how to make many different traditional Genoese dishes from cappon magro to fresh pasta, to anchovy pies, pansoti with walnut sauce, canestrelli, trofiette and corzetti and «what you make is what you eat.»

«We work through the net and tour operators with individuals and groups»

«We started Creattivando in 2013, firmly believing in the Genoa and Liguria brands, and over 1,000 visitors have confirmed that our model is on-target,» says operations manager Mario Clavarino.

«We work through the net and tour operators and have flexible formats.»

Clients are individuals, couples, families and groups, and the pesto experience can be completed with a lunch or dinner as well as guided tours of the city and visits to historical buildings.

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Transportation

Trenitalia's regional trains carried 70 million passengers from July to September BY

PAMELA MCCOURT FRANCESCONE

ROME - «It has been an extraordinary summer. From July to the beginning of September 70 million passengers travelled on regional trains, and Trenitalia’s Regionale sector is playing an increasingly important role in proximity tourism,» said Sabrina De Filippis, director of regional business management, speaking with ItaliAbsolutely at the recent TTG Travel Experience in Rimini.

«And what is even more important is that we have increased not just our Italian customers but also international visitors. This is because every new season we increase both the range of our services and the number of locations served. And we do this not in a standardised way but by analyzing the tourist flows, and then adding new dedicated services where we see the potential.»

«We have also greatly boosted our

Trenitalia’s Regionale sector is playing an increasingly important role in proximity tourism

Sabrina De Filippis

trains to airports, and we are always looking for new destinations to conquer. For example we are already working for the next season together our mobility and micro-mobility partners. Once we were the ones reaching out to them, today they come knocking on our door. These partnerships help us to bring more and more travellers to their final destination.»

«With a highly developed network, we are effective and we are really good value. The regional train is no longer just a way to get to work or to school but is used increasingly for leisure and holiday travel. We have technologically advanced sales systems, and we get great support from both the

Italian and international trade.»

«The challenge for the regional network is to ensure that more and more tour operators include our trains in their travel packages around Italy.

Recently we presented the new Blues hybrid train, which in terms of both technology and on-board services is proving to be a major success, also with tourists.» The Blues trains can travel on non-

electrified routes using diesel and battery mode with a significant reduction in CO2 emissions and in noise pollution compared to older models. Like the new Rock and POP trains, the Blues is environmentally efficient, extremely comfortable, and a thoroughly enjoyable travel experience.

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t TOURISM INDUSTRY

Italy Car Rent

t NEWS Transportation

opens in Turin and Milan.

NEW PORTAL LAUNCHED

4

The italian locations of Italy Car Rent.

Bergamo Bologna Milan Turin.

Soon the new opening in Rome

contract on his device and receive all the necessary documentation.»

«The European market accounts for 50% of our average rental»

MILANO - Italy Car Rent has opened in Turin and Milan and has launched a new portal.

These are ambitious projects for the car rental company which opened a new base in Turin and, following the recent openings in Bergamo and Bologna, is now covering all of Italy.

Also opening in Rome’s Termini Station

«We are growing and investing in new locations,» says sales director Andrea Lo Faso. «After our offices in Italy’s most important airports, we are now opening in railway stations. The first is Milan’s Centrale station and soon we will open in Rome’s main Termini station.

This way we can guarantee a better coverage of the country, from the islands to the North, with over 5,000 sustainable vehicles, advantageous insurance

After our office in Italy’s most important airports, we are now opening in railways stations

Andrea Lo Faso

solutions and digitalized bookings.»

All operations online on the new portal

«In November we will launch the new portal where agencies can register, taking advantage of dedicated rates with commissions.

This way all operations will be online including check-in, which will eliminate counter queues.

And the customer can sign the

In terms of performance the company’s balance is more than positive both in terms of volumes and rates.

«In the summer the leisure demand was very strong, particularly on the islands and in Puglia, and we had a lot of foreign customers. You could say we are back to normal.

The European market, which accounts for 50% of the average 7-day daily rental, has given us great satisfaction, as have families and small groups.

I am convinced that prices, which are slightly higher at the moment, will become more competitive again.

Forecasts also bode well for 2023, thanks also to an alignment between supply and demand.»

Complete coverage for all stages of the rental

Italy Car Rent is focusing on Italy Car Zero which offers the driver and passengers complete coverage, such as cancelled rental deposits during all stages of the rental.

It also includes the Super Kasko Plus insurance in collaboration with brokers and agencies.

10 BY

MARIA CARNIGLIA

GENOA - Amareitalia is a dynamic platform for booking Italy and global travel packages. It is the commercial brand of sostravel.com, a company set up by young entrepreneurs and professionals who came from successful careers in online and tourism.

Destination managers provide full assistance

Their aim in founding the company was to promote dynamic Italy holiday packages, starting with Sardinia and then adding Sicily, Apulia and Calabria, with the best resorts, holiday villages and hotels and replying to the needs of today’s customers.

Choosing Amareitalia means relying on destination managers; consultants who take the customer in hand from the moment he chooses his holiday destination to the moment he returns home.

Packages for Sardinia and Kenya

«Amareitalia started in 2021 as an innovative startup. The aim was to enhance Italian tourism product using a dynamic digital tool,» says CEO Massimo Crippa.

«With our platform it is possible to design any kind of travel idea or package, taking advantage of contracts negotiated with the best airlines and shipping companies inte-

t INSPIRATIONS

t TOURISM INDUSTRY Operators

t NEWS

Amareitalia p u t r a t s m Fr o e v i t a v o n n i to scaleup

Amareitalia started in 2021 as an innovative start-up.

The aim was to enhance Italian tourism product using a dynamic digital tool

Massimo Crippa

Two apps provide baggage protection and tracking grated with our Sardinia and Kenya products, as well as with leading global wholesalers. The package, to which multiple activities available on the selected dates can be added, can be saved, shared with friends, and automatically re-booked at a later date.»

Customers can make savings using the Secret Village formula

The strengths are the directly managed products: properties marketed exclusively in Sardinia and Kenya. These five exclusive products include the virtual Secret Village formula which has a registered trademark allowing customers to make considerable savings and hoteliers to maximise occupancy.

The excellent results of the 2021 season moved Amareitalia from startup to innovative scaleup status, and on 29 September Amareitalia became part of sostravel.com S.p.A., a company listed on the Milan Stock Exchange.

It owns two apps that provide information and services such as baggage protection and tracking, realtime flight status notification and the ranking of the miles flown by each participant.

«In December we will add the Jumbo Resort in Watamu, Kenya»

«Thanks to this merger,» Crippa continues, «the apps will be further developed with additional booking functions, and the range of hotel facilities will increase from 1 December with the addition of the Jumbo Resort in Watamu, Kenya.»

URBINO

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t INSPIRATIONS Cities and Regions

t TOURISM INDUSTRY

t NEWS

in Italy’s heart of organic farming, is a cradle of art and culture URBINO - «This year, with the celebrations for the 600 years of the birth of Federico Duke of Montefeltro, Urbino is enjoying a second great wave of international interest, following that of 2020 when we celebrated the 500th anniversary of the birth of the great painter Raphael, who was born here,» says Roberto Cioppi, councillor for tourism of the Municipality of Urbino.

«We need to lengthen the season beyond the summer months»

Adding that Urbino is now reaping the benefits of the investments made by the city administration and local operators to protect and project the image of a city in the heart of Italy’s leading organic agricultural region, Cioppi said that the Marche’s green practices are impacting strongly on the motivations that attract international visitors. «This summer flights into Bologna and Ancona from Eu-

ropean destinations picked up momentum, with a good mix of visitors from many markets, including a return of the Americans, also through other major Italian airports. We are now concentrating on lengthening the season beyond the summer months.»

Social media has helped boost arrivals

Collaborations with the region’s three UNESCO sites (The Ducal Palace in Urbino, Urbino and San Marino Ed.), with Italian embassies and international chambers of commerce, as well as funding from the Italian ministry for tourism, have all contributed to our promotional efforts on foreign markets. «We have favoured digital and social media channels to promote our art, culture, outdoor activities and our great foods and wines.

One new, and highly appreciated phenomenon, is the growing number of restaurants run by talented young chefs.»

Roberto Cioppi, councillor for tourism of the Municipality of Urbino

Outdoor tourism is a big draw

And the digital gamble has paid off, with overbooking in some areas this summer, and growing interest in what the region has to offer beyond its splendid art and architecture. Outdoor tourism, from trekking and biking to horse riding and visits to farms and wineries, is attracting more visitors and many are choosing farmstays and discovering the smaller towns and inland areas. «We are also working with neighbouring municipalities like Fano and Pesaro -

We have favoured digital and social media channels to promote our art, culture, outdoor activities and our great foods and wines

Roberto Cioppi

which will be Italy’s cultural capital in 2024 - to create itineraries that bring together the great cities in our region.»

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Operators

Gb Viaggi NEW PARTNERS FOR MORE

INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS

ROME - The Roman tour ope-

rator Gb Viaggi is bringing new partners onboard this winter with the aim of boosting its international clientele.

And it is adding more winter resorts, innovative accommodation solutions for wellness holidays and organised tours to its wide range of products.

«Many foreigners have the desire to visit Italy»

With no shortage of novelties for the coming winter season, sales director Domenico Stefanelli says the aim is to «facilitate holidays for those many foreigners whose desire it is to visit Italy at least once in their lifetime.»

An occasion to interact with partners and suppliers

«The traditional appointment with the TTG Travel Experience fair in Rimini,» continued Stefanelli, «was an occasion to interact with colleagues, partners, and suppliers, working together to find concrete solutions to the daily needs of travellers. » «This trade fair is always a great opportunity for presenting our many new products and services.»

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CLAUDIANA DE CESARE

LECCE - After a buoyant summer season, which saw arrivals increase by 10% compared to 2019, Lecce’s destination strategies are focusing on autumn and winter with a packed calendar of events.

The winter season kicks off on 12 November with a film festival

«Our aim is to lengthen the season, allowing tourists to travel during the shoulder months when they will find many new and different experiences to enjoy in the area,» explains Paolo Foresio, councillor for entertainment, tourism and economic development of the Municipality of Lecce. «The season kicks off on 12 November with the European Film Festival and will continue with events right through the month of December. We will have the Puppets Fair where our Lecce tradition of master puppeteers

Ours is an exceptionally diversified destination with endless experiences to be discovered and enjoyed

t NEWS

t TOURISM INDUSTRY Leisure

Apulia’s Baroque city prepares for a sparkling Christmas

Paolo Foresio

Focus on

will be the protagonist, then the Nativity Scene exhibition and the festive lights in Piazza Sant'Oronzo: everything will speak of Christmas and beauty, there will be a magical atmosphere.»

- Cultural heritage tourism - Religious tourism - Food and wine Italian visitors, but also from Europe tourism - Sun and Sea and the United States

The Lecce municipality's strategies

are oriented towards promoting the many tourist attractions that have been successful in extending the season in recent years by attracting domestic visitors, as well as those from Europe and the United States. «We are focusing on cultural heritage tourism, religious tourism, food and wine tourism, and the sea with its 22 kilometres of coastline, - continues Foresio - without forgetting music, our roots and our traditions. Ours is an ex-

ceptionally diversified destination with endless experiences to be discovered and enjoyed.»

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Operators

y l a t I n o i t a n Dest i BY

MASSIMILIANO SARTI

MILAN - Digital b2b operator Destination Italia has big ambitions, aiming to become the number one inbound operator for global companies that sell Italy travel, with a special focus on luxury and high-spending.

«In 2019 we closed with €35 million in total revenues, making us Italy’s number one inbound operator,» says the company’s major shareholder Dina Ravera.

«But now we want to be as big as the outbound bigwigs.» And to do this Destination Italia will concentrate on its luxury brand Sono Travel Club.

I nd i a and Japan «Today no big player Will be the next steps of the Italian operator

can offer a compete and diversified range of products»

«Today there is no big player that can offer a compete and diversified range of products to the global market, so we intend interacting with the big luxury Italian brands (some of which are already part of the shareholding, Ed.), as well as with the regions and international stake-

«OUR AIM IS TO BE AS BIG AS ITALY’S OUTBOUND SUPERSTARS»

The total revenues in 2019, made us Italy’s number one inbound operator

Dina Ravera

holders even beyond the borders of tour operating.

High-spending tourism wants organisation and entertainment, so we are creating vertical projects that can reach a transversal clientele, from families, to bikers, to those who want stays in luxury villas and historic palaces.»

«Our next steps are India and Japan»

Destination Italia’s main market remains Europe, with the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Germany, followed by the United States which made a strong comeback, spending 30% more than average.

Arrivals from South America were also good and the Middle East showed small but growing numbers, though Asia was still missing.

«Our next steps are India and Japan, while from Russia (up to 2018 Destination Italia’s main market. Ed), we have a few arrivals that we check through international databases, to ensure there are no personal embargoes.»

2020 closed with +331% over the previous year

In the first half of this year Destination Italia recorded revenues of €7.1 million, a 692% increase over 2021. «At the end of September we exceeded €25 million in bookings for the whole of 2022 which is +331% compared to last year. And for once last-minute bookings did not result in a drop in prices, which remained at good levels.»

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A series of special openings on November weekends that will lead guests up to the Gardaland Magic Winter weeks

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a return to 2019 levels in June, and counting on tourists BY

Wow kend

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MASSIMILIANO SARTI

MILAN - The season started later than usual, but then interest quickly picked up and «in June the number of admissions was back in line with 2019. Demand from groups also restarted, so much so that the summer season closed 15% higher than our target,» said Gardaland’s sales manager Stefano Iannicelli.

«We count for about 25% on foreign tourists»

The organised tourism channel made a significant contribution to the park’s good performance, with numbers very close to pre-Covid levels. «We count for about 25% on foreign tourists, - says Iannicelli. - It is a segment on which we are focusing for the future, working

with international tour operators, travel agencies and DMCs to further boost the share of arrivals from abroad.»

November weekend openings and Xmas festivities

At the park October is traditionally the month of Magic Halloween, followed by the first edition of the Wowkend, a series of special openings on November weekends that will lead guests up to the Gardaland Magic Winter weeks, with events and experiences dedicated to Christmas and the New Year festivities. And, of course, there will be no lack of novelties next year, with a series of interesting new entries «but I cannot reveal the details yet,» says Iannicelli.

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Hospitality

ThGroup Regarding beach resorts a positive year and an eye on Spain and Egypt of the generalist Baobab.

BY

MASSIMILIANO SARTI

MILAN - The Th Group’s turnover is up, and certain to break through the symbolic threshold of €100 million by the end of 2022, thanks to the excellent performance of the Th hotel brand and the successful debut

We should close at around €133 million, which means a growth of 109% over 2021

Giuliano Gaiba

«We should close 2022 with a growth of 109% over 2021»

«We should close at around €133 million, - says the company’s CEO, Giuliano Gaiba, which means a growth of 109% over 2021 and 46% over preCovid 2019, for another €42 million. These are comforting results, and even more so when one considers the context in which we found ourselves, first with the pandemic and then the

war and rising inflation.»

Start-up Baobab to close at €20 million

«The Th Resorts brand is expected to record a total turnover of 110 million (+17% on the previous year), while the Baobab start-up is estimated to be around €20 million, which is an unhoped-for result for us.» Tailor-made operator Markando is currently undergoing reorganisation and will be relaunched this autumn, «with an innovative project, and experienced, dedicated resources.»

Future

Th Resorts will see four mountain resorts renew their contracts, and the launch of two new destinations.

With regards to beach resorts the news will be from Sicily, Calabria and Sardinia, «though management opportunities in Spain and Egypt are also being studied.»

Looking at opportunities in Spain and Egypt

In the near future Th Resorts will see four mountain resorts renew their contracts, and the launch of two new destinations. «One will be Marilleva where we already have one of our historic hotels, and where we will expand together with major financial partners, and one in the Cortina area with the opening of a new hotel in Borca di Cadore.» With regards to beach resorts the news will be from Sicily, Calabria and Sardinia, «though management opportunities in Spain and Egypt are also being studied. If they go through, this would be Th’s debut abroad.»