It’s business as usual, with Italy’s top tourism operators consolidating their positions. In fact Pambianco reports that not much has changed for the top 5 Italian hospitality and tour operating companies by turnover, and the only one new entry this year was the Mangia's Group. The Starhotels Group was confirmed as the top performer in 2023 with €304 million (€216 million in 2019; €243 million in 2022), followed by the Una Group at just over €200 million (€124 million in 2019; €146 million in 2022), and Th Resorts at €187 million (€94 million in 2019; €136 million in 2022).
Alpitour's hotel division comes in just below the top three at €177m (€107m in 2019; €134m in 2022 - financial statements as of 31 October and, at the bottom of the top five we find the only new 2023 entry of the two rankings: the Aeroviaggi - Mangia's Group, which with its €117 million ousted Hnh Hospitality from its position, which reached €106 million (34 million in 2019; 71 million in 2022).
The situation is similar for organized tourism companies. As expected Alpitour's tour operating division ended the fiscal year on 31 October at the top of the ranking, with a turnover of €1,361 billion, just one million below the pre-Covid levels of 2019, but posting a growth of 57% over 2022. This was followed by Veratour at €230 mln (249 mln in 2019, 181 mln in 2022), while on the lowest step of the podium was Quality Group with €205 mln (173 mln in 2019; 111 mln in 2022). The only novelty was between the fourth and fifth places, with Nicolaus Group and Idee per Viaggiare reversing their respective positions: Apulian Nicolaus is now on top with €148m (€91m in 2019; €94m in 2022), while IpV closed the year on 31 October at €105m (€50m in 2019; €97m in 2022).
This year Pambianco introduced the top five wellness operators for the first time, a ranking dominated by Qc Spa of Wonders, which closed 2023 with a turnover of €147 million (87 mln in 2019; 105 mln in 2022). Further down is Terme e Grandi Alberghi Sirmione at €44 million (40 mln in both 2019 and 2022), followed by Lefay Resorts at €42 million (34 mln in 2019; 37 mln in 2022). Not far behind are the new holding company created in 2021 by Massimo Caputi, Terme Italia, which posted €37 mln (as it did in 2022), as well as Gb Thermae Hotels with €36 mln in total production value (37 mln in 2019; 36 mln in 2022).
Massimiliano Sarti
Journalist
