For tasteful Christmas and New Year celebrations the Sheraton Rome Parco de’ Medici is the perfect choice.   

The tranquil park setting

Set in a park at the gates of Rome, the Sheraton Rome Parco de' Medici celebrates the festivities with three gastronomic appointments of excellence. Designed for families, couples and friends who wish to experience the magic of Christmas and the excitement of New Year's Eve in an elegant, relaxing setting, this property is far removed from the chaos of the city.

Seafood, truffles, asparagus and traditional lentils

Executive Chef Alessandro Bargelletti has devised special menus, from Christmas Eve to New Year's Eve dinner, paying homage to the roots of the Italian traditions, For dinner on 24 December, the evening begins with rich appetisers to share, the first course tastes of the sea and is followed by a dessert buffet.  Christmas Day is celebrated at lunch with hors d'oeuvres to be shared, followed by pistachio and wild fennel roast lamb with roast potatoes and braised chicory, and ending on a sweet note with the dessert buffet Pandoro and Panettone with vanilla and chocolate cream, nougat, and fruit cake. 

New Year's Eve. A gala dinner with live music 

The New Year's Eve gala dinner has a luscious menu of swordfish ravioli in a lime and shrimp sauce,  lamb with black truffles, sea bass stuffed with salmon mousse and prawns, larded asparagus and braised Belgian and, finally the dessert buffet and the traditional lentils and pork cotechino For information and reservations: tel 06.65288 

Travelers are increasingly drawn to personalized experiences, small villages and alternative routes, seeking a more authentic connection with the country’s identity. The Italian lifestyle — its food traditions, art, culture and effortless dolce vita — is becoming a key driver of choice, pushing the industry toward a more experiential, emotional and relationship-oriented idea of tourism. Italy is entering a new chapter in the story of travel, and BIT 2026, Italy’s leading travel exhibition, is shaping up to be the place where this transformation becomes visible.

The new chapter of Italian tourism lands at BIT 2026

From Tuesday 10 to Thursday 12 February, Fiera Milano will present an edition built not just around destinations and products, but around the ideas, people and skills that are redefining what travel means today. The concept behind the exhibition is clear: tourism is no longer a linear industry, but an ecosystem — and ecosystems grow when people connect.

Over the last few years, travellers have changed, and so has the way destinations present themselves. Curiosity has become slower, experiences more meaningful, and the value of human encounters more central than ever. BIT reflects this shift with a renewed identity: a platform where professionals, emerging talents and innovators exchange insights, build new alliances and imagine the future together.

The Travel Makers Fest at the heart of BIT 2026

At the heart of this evolution lies the Travel Makers Fest, the new signature project of the 2026 edition. Designed as a vibrant arena of ideas, it stretches across six themed squares woven into the exhibition layout, transforming BIT into an open city of conversations, visions and creative energy. For three days, the Fest will bring together operators, storytellers, destination managers, researchers, creators, but travel designers and themed travel organizers, too — all the many souls who shape the travel experience every day.

Its guiding theme, “Building Bridges. Imagining New Ecosystems”, captures the spirit of a sector that is learning to step beyond boundaries. The Fest invites participants to rethink classic categories — business and leisure, online and offline, visitor and community — and to explore what happens when these worlds meet. Every day, more than six hours of talks, exchanges and live sessions will dive into the most urgent issues: sustainability as a shared culture, the impact of technology on travel choices, new traveller psychologies, storytelling that gives value to local identities, and the rising role of soft skills in hospitality and service.

From ideas to training and business

What emerges is a portrait of travel as a living system, shaped by the people who design it. BIT amplifies this dynamic by linking the Fest with its training platforms — from Next Level with the Travel Agents Academy, the Hospitality Academy, the Storytelling Farm and Discovery Italy to Future Travel Minds, dedicated to young professionals, innovators, students and changemakers. Together, they form a continuum where learning, debate and market opportunities blend naturally, offering visitors both inspiration and practical tools.

In this vision, the Travel Makers — travellers, professionals, creators, innovators — become the protagonists. Not spectators, but co-authors of experiences. Not isolated roles, but a community in motion. BIT 2026 embraces this shift by encouraging dialogue between generations, sectors and perspectives, highlighting how the future of tourism depends on shared imagination as much as on economic performance.

Italy as the natural home of the Fest

Italy, with its extraordinary variety of landscapes, cultures and stories, is the perfect stage for this conversation. And BIT 2026 positions itself as the moment of the year when the industry can pause, reflect and project itself forward — understanding not only where travellers go, but what moves them, inspires them, and connects them.

This is the promise of the new BIT: a journey into the next era of travel, guided by those who are ready to build bridges and imagine new ecosystems.

bit.fieramilano.it


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Religious tourism is experiencing a phase of strong renewal, driven by an increasingly broad and diversified demand. 

A complex ecosystem of spirituality and cultural travel

No longer just a traditional segment linked to visits to holy places, today religious tourism is a complex ecosystem that combines spirituality, culture, well-being and the discovery of new parts of the country. Against this backdrop, Professor Simona Attollino, lecturer in Law and Religion and director of the Executive Master in Religious Tourism and Smart Management of Cultural Heritage at LUM University, offers a useful key to understanding for operators, DMOs and professionals in the supply chain.

New interest in places on the margins of the main flows 

In recent years, demand has been driven by a strong search for meaning and integral well-being. Visiting a sanctuary or a pilgrim’s path is no longer a ritual gesture, but a time devoted to self-care. This is confirmed by ISNART studies which highlight a particularly relevant aspect for operators: the religious tourist is often a return visitor. Alongside the spiritual motivation, cultural, natural and food-and-wine interests are pushing travellers towards lesser-known destinations and more narrative experiences. "Today we are witnessing an increasingly evident intertwining between spiritual research and artistic-cultural enjoyment,- says Attollino. -It involves every age group, with a growing role for the new generations. Through social media, digital content and spontaneous storytelling, young people are contributing to the widespread enhancement of places that in the past remained on the margins of the main flows.

For operators, this scenario implies the need for new skills

Another determining element is the evolution of the concept of pilgrimage itself. The experience is attracting people who experience the dimension of the sacred without necessarily belonging to a religious institution. Sanctuaries, pilgrimage routes, patronal festivals and spiritual rites thus take on a community and cultural function. For operators, this scenario implies the need for new skills. “Solid legal knowledge of cultural heritage and safety are needed, along with specific managerial skills to design tourism-religious products,- explains Attollino. - There is also a growing need to know how to dialogue with ecclesiastical bodies, public institutions and local communities, to co-plan together. Religious heritage must also be interpreted from a cultural and territorial perspective, while digital skills are indispensable for intercepting the new languages of travellers. Religious and spiritual tourism can become a laboratory of innovation and sustainability for the entire tourism industry.” 

The Rocca Malatestiana of Cesena is a magnificent medieval fortress overlooking the city from its hilltop. With its imposing towers, panoramic views, and a rich history tied to the Malatesta family, it offers an immersive journey into centuries of architecture, power, and culture. A visit reveals one of Emilia-Romagna’s most fascinating historic landmarks.
credits: Municipality of Cesena

Airelles Palladio will make its debut in the heart of Venice on 1 April 2026, but bookings are already open.

Rooms, suites and a private villa

Airelles Palladio, a property located on the island of Giudecca, in the heart of Venice, the Laggon City, and directly overlooking the iconic San Marco Square, consists of three historic 16th-century buildings surrounded by almost a hectare of gardens. Restored with meticulous attention to their architectural heritage, La Maison offers 45 keys, including 17 rooms and 28 suites, as well as a private villa with three rooms, a swimming pool and exclusive garden. The jewel in the crown is the the 450sqm four-room presidential suite, which will offer spectacular views of the city's most iconic landmarks.

Venice’s largest spa and wellness centre

The property will be able to boast the city's largest spa and wellness centre, spread over 1,700sqm and with three swimming pools, a Kids Club and a range of personalized services. The gastronomic offer includes three haute cuisine restaurants, a Club and a bar dedicated to Venice’s famous Cicchetti snack-sized bites , as well as three bars designed to accompany the different moments of the day. "The opening of reservations is a milestone in this extraordinary adventure. We look forward to unveiling this unique place and sharing our vision of the art de vivre Airelles in a city as inspiring as Venice," says CEO of Airelles, Anne-Laure Ollagnon.

The Save Group, the management company of the Venice, Verona and Treviso airports, is an official supporter of the Milan Cortina 2026 Foundation.

Over two million arrivals expected

The 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games will welcome two million fans and more than 3,500 athletes from over 90 countries, in addition to federations, technicians, delegations, media and broadcasters. The collaboration between the Milan Cortina 2026 Foundation and the Save Group is an important opportunity to jointly identify management solutions dedicated to the large expected flows, aimed at the best travel experience at Venice airport during the Games.

Hundreds of daily flights

Save will make its 178 daily arrivals and departures available to Venice, managing the arrival of thousands of oversized pieces of baggage on a single day. In addition to these Venice flights, there will be 46 daily flights from Treviso airport and 48 from Verona airport, which are also managed by the group, and together with Venice will welcome spectators attending competitions at the Olympic and Paralympic venues.

“Save’s airports...are real gateways to the Games” 

“For years we have been preparing to welcome millions of visitors from over 90 countries: an extraordinary number that makes this sporting event unique and spectacular,- said Andrea Varnier, CEO Milano Cortina 2026 . -The location of Save's airports makes them real gateways to the Games. They are essential entry gates, as they guarantee a fair and orderly distribution of the numerous arrivals. Their location and the quality of their services confirms the high standards of Italian hospitality.”

Putting Italy into the world spotlight

"The function of the system of airports we manage is to unite countries, cultures and communities,- said Enrico Marchi, president of the Save Group. -For the Milan Cortina 2026 Games, we will make available the skills and professionalism of our personnel, with the enthusiasm of contributing to the success of an event that will put our country in the spotlight around the world.”

The Milan Marriott Hotel has completed a radical renovation of its conference spaces. 

The largest conference centre in the heart of Milan

Following the already advanced renovation of the entire property, which will be completed in early 2026, the over 3,000 m2 of event spaces make it the largest conference centre in the centre of Milan. The historic hotel on Viale Washington has been “made decidedly contemporary,” says Pippo Russotti, managing director of RGH, Marriott's main franchisee in Italy. It had been “restructured also in its skeleton, i.e. with a total overhaul of the technical part, which now allows us to offer modern services tailored to the demanding corporate demand.”

A wide range of meeting rooms of all sizes

There are two main rooms “each of 400 m2, and they can be combined into a single 800 m2 space,- says Chiara Della Torre, director of business development, -with a large Led wall measuring 11 by 4 metres, flanked by 14 modular and functional rooms, ideal for conferences, corporate meetings, and private occasions of all kinds.” These include three smaller rooms, "ideal for small meetings of 10-20 people, and they have natural lighting.”

The Sicilian traditions of the Leonardo Restaurant  

To date, there are 180 completely renovated rooms, to which more will soon be added to reach 317. “By then, the new Leonardo Restaurant will also be operational, featuring the Sicilian traditions of the Russotti family - the owners of the hotel - reinterpreted in a contemporary key,- adds Della Torre. -A new club with a bar and terrace is also in the works, it will be open not only to guests but also to non residents.”   

“Quality hospitality in an increasingly international and dynamic city”

The renovation confirms the property’s increasingly marked bleisure vocation: “This renovation stems from the desire to accompany Milan's evolution and to interpret the new needs of travellers, both business and leisure,- concludes Russotti. -We wanted to create a meeting and experience-geared place where design and functionality merge to host events of all sizes while offering a contemporary and authentic stay. The aim is to make the Milan Marriott Hotel a reference point for those seeking quality hospitality in an increasingly international and dynamic city.”

The US and the UK are the strongest markets

The composition of the Milan Marriott's clientele is ”about 70% foreign- says Russotti, -America is naturally the first market in terms of importance, followed by the UK, which has always been a strong market for Marriott. Followed by Germany, France, and other European markets. Asia is in the top five, considering it as a whole: certainly a good market, with great potential.”

As competition for global tourism increasingly depends on digitalisation, Artificial Intelligence and creating connected experiences, the Travel Technology area is emerging as a driving force for the sector transformation at FITUR 2026. Tech firms have taken a leading role when improving processes optimisation, fostering sustainability, making the most of the traveller experience and creating new business models. In summary, it stands as one of the key pillars of the International Tourism Trade Fair, FITUR, held from 21 to 25 January.

Travel Technology at FITUR 2026: record expansion and new location in the Knowledge Hub.

With over than 150 companies confirmed two months ahead of the fair, the Travel Technology area is set to expand by an exceptional 50% growth in 2026. Hence it will bring together leading firms from over 20 countries, including Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States and Turkey.

One of the major breakthroughs this year will be the relocation of Travel Tech to the new Knowledge Hub, located at Hall 12. Essentially the lounge is designed to connect innovation, training, high-tech trends and business. It intends to strengthen FITUR’s role as the innovation hub where solutions in AI, automation, data analytics, distribution, digital marketing, smart mobility and immersive experiences, converge.

Travel Technology will feature cutting-edge services from leading companies such as Amadeus, Travelgate, Roommatik, Septeo, Juniper Travel Technology, BEONx, Tech Tourism Cluster and Roiback. Business France will also showcase groundbreaking start-ups, highlighting the area’s role in positioning tech firms across the globe.

The relevance of Travel Technology for the tourism industry lies in its ability to strengthen destination and business competitiveness, transform the traveller experience through cutting-edge digital solutions, improve operational and energy efficiency, and generate new data-driven business models. Its growth in FITUR 2026 echoes this evolution and establishes the fair as a key platform for international dialogue between innovation and tourism, connecting technology companies with operators, destinations, investors and the wider value chain within the tourism industry.

More information at  https://www.ifema.es/en/fitur