A €30 million euro renovation seals the first 25 years of the Hotel de Russie at Rocco Forte Hotels.

The hotel is famous for its Secret Garden

The work, carried out between 2021 and 2025, involved every part of the historic hotel - from the public areas to the suites and rooms - and concluded with the renovation of the De Russie Spa, which reopened on 10 June. The famous Secret Garden, the attentive and personalized service, and the refined atmosphere of the hotel continue to evolve without ever betraying the property’s identity. The restyling, guided by the creative talent of Lady Olga Polizzi, vice-president and design director of Rocco Forte Hotels, who founded the group in 1995 together with her brother Sir Rocco Forte, has involved different areas of the structure.

A new beauty Forte Vita Bar

It begins with the De Russie Spa: five treatment rooms - including two suites for couples - inspired by the tones of nature. There is also a sauna, a Turkish bath and a saltwater hydro-massage pool in relaxing shades of blue, recalling the blue skies of Rome and there is also a  state-of-the- gym Technogym gym. Then there is the Forte Vita Bar which is an absolute novelty: an intimate and sophisticated space entirely dedicated to beauty offering effective facial treatments and using products from the Irene Forte Skincare line. The lobby at the entrance of the hotel's 19th-century building combines elegance and history in a warm and refined design, including details such as Pietro Monti's bas-relief depicting the Archangel Gabriel, emblematic of the dialogue between past and present.

The jewel in the crown is the Nijinsky Suite

One of the most evident expressions of the project is the refurbishment of the rooms and suites: the jewel in the crown of this new vision is the Nijinsky Suite, on 210 sqm, this private residence in the heart of the hotel, has a large panoramic terrace with exclusive views of Villa Borghese and the rooftops of Rome. The Secret Garden, designed by Giuseppe Valadier (who created the original design of the property) has undergone a careful four-year restoration. The poet Jean Cocteau, during his stay in 1917, called it “Paradise on Earth,” and today it has been returned to  original configuration, with the addition of a new scenographic lighting system and a botanical assortment designed to ensure continuous flowering. At the base of the Secret Garden, in Piazzetta Valadier, the refined Bar Stravinskij is dominated by a sculptural pergola inspired by the works of Alberto Giacometti. Here the cocktails are true masterpieces, created by the legendary Salvatore Calabrese together with bar manager Mattia Capezzuoli.

Italy is emerging more and more prominently in the worldwide imagination of tourists, particularly on foreign markets, as a top destination in which to experience a unique lifestyle, narrated through places, people, stories and traditions. Italy is not just a journey, but a lifestyle choice, a holiday experienced with calm, mindfulness, curiosity, and sensitivity. Today’s travellers are in search of authentic encounters, meaningful experiences, and deep cultural insight, and Italy is an inner landscape, a journey of spiritual enrichment, where travellers blend seamlessly into the scenes they encounter.

The trend of experiential tourism in Italy in 2024 wass significantly centered around wellbeing: 215,000 tourists who came for holidays dedicated to mental and physical wellbeing, 130,000 who went on spiritual walks and pilgrimages, 415,000 who chose green experiences, and over a million opting for food and wine itineraries. (Data from the ENIT Studies Office based on Bank of Italy sources.) Economically: €112.1 million were spent on wellness (+11.4 %), €92.1 million on spiritual walks, €363 million on wine and food (+9 %) and €405 million on green tourism (+9.5 %).

These figures clearly show how regenerating experiences are perceived as an added value. Tourists devote their trip not only to relaxation, but to inner and cultural enrichment, in a continuum linking regional recipes, rural landscapes, nature trails and shared experiences in village settings. This expression of Italy’s identity holds strong appeal for many international markets that are more attentive to ecological and identity values - Germany +13 %, Austria +11 % and the United States +37 % in the wellness and spirituality segments, and the United Kingdom +64 %, Germany and the Netherlands +51 % in food and wine and green tourism. Today’s traveller is a modern, proactive, aware tourist and he is eager to live the “Italian experience” in its most authentic and profound form. A holiday is not just a visit, but participation, contamination and personal growth.

Active holidays participate transversally in these experiences. Cycle tourism, for example, is an emblem of slow tourism. Italy also rediscovers itself in cycling, ranging from excursions (89.1 %), to sporting activities (31.5 %), visits to villages (31.4 %), historic towns (29 %) and natural settings (13.2 %). In fact there were more than 33 million overnight stays for cycle tourism, with an expenditure of €4 billion - a clear sign of a phenomenon that has exploded since the pandemic and is still growing strongly. The bicycle tourist crosses territories, discovers off-the-beaten-path areas, coming into contact with local communities an follows a slow-tourism trail that has a strong socio-economic impact. Soft mobility thus becomes a vehicle for sustainability, a stimulus to the rural economy, and a tool for environmental protection.

Post-pandemic, outdoor tourism has become a strategic lever through slow tourism, hiking, camping, agritourism and nature trails. Today one in ten Italians pick holidays centered on sports and 53% go on hiking weekends. Slow tourism is becoming a way of territorial promotion that can enhance inland areas, rural villages and Italy’s historical heritage, all of which would otherwise remain marginal. The return to pre-Covid flows (UNWTO 2024) has brought to light critical issues related to tourist overlapping in the most popular locations, and has prompted the adoption of national, regional and local laws and regulations, such as new regulations on sustainable tourism that promote models to protect the environment and local communities. Anti-overtourism measures have also been introduced placing restrictions on access, online bookings and quotas and with the creation of low tourist pressure zones as well as territorial governance to protect cultural identity, the quality of life and environmental sustainability.

2025 is also a crucial year for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Hope and the 12th Special Olympics World Winter Games which are proving to be instruments of immense tourist appeal. The Italian system is ready to welcome millions of visitors efficiently and with the same warmth and quality of the hospitality Italy showed for the election of the new Pope Leo XIV.

Religious journeys today are not only an expression of faith, but also a desire for material and immaterial culture, spirituality and introspection. In 2024 the Ministry of Tourism counted 113 religious paths, totalling 30,469 kilometres across the country, from the Via Francigena (1,970 kilometres) to the Basilian Way (1,535 kilometres) and from the Way of St. Michael (1,532 kilometres to the Romea Strata (1,400 kilometres) and the Germanica (1,050 kilometres). These itineraries are not just physical routes, but true “inner journeys,” on which the walker seeks spirituality, interiority, a contact with nature and ways of sharing. The multi-sensory dimension - soil, smells, sounds, tastes - becomes an element of sensitivity and personal enrichment.

But even the more traditional forms of Italian holidays guarantee the authenticity of the experience for tourists in Italy.  Beach tourism on our coasts, such as the Ligurian, Amalfi, Salento, Sicilian, Sardinian, Sardinian, Tuscan, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna coasts, generate €7.6 billion annually from foreign guests alone. There are also the circuits of the most famous art cities: from Rome, Florence and Venice to Naples, Palermo, Genoa and Turin, which attract 19.6 million foreigners, and with a total expenditure of over €19 billion.

But these types of stay are now emerging in a renewed form, integrating classic itineraries with cultural and digital innovations, craftsmanship, food and wine, and design, while respecting local identities and communities. The real challenge of contemporary tourism is not numbers, but human values. We need to offer tailor-made, accessible, multicultural, eco-friendly and inclusive experiences that reply to the needs of diversity, disabilities and different cultures. Holidays must enhance interaction, promote dialogue and strengthen communities, and Italy has the capacity, the places, the sensitivities and the infrastructures to do this. Tourism is no longer just a source of profit to be exploited, but an instrument of growth for local ecosystems and visitors, with positive repercussions on social cohesion, cultural growth and environmental sustainability.

In 2025 Italy was a destination at the forefront of sustainability, combining tradition and innovation, hospitality and responsibility, tourism and authenticity by optimizing its appeal, respecting the environment and placing the territory and communities at the centre. By making slow tourism, cycle-tourism, spiritual walks as well as quality seaside and cultural tourism the basis of sustainable tourism models it addresses the global challenge through innovation, as is exemplified by the Jubilee and the Olympics, while ensuring effective governance, security, and hospitality. Guided by sustainability, authenticity, and personal experience, Italian tourism today drives wellbeing, growth, and future prospects, making Italy a place where every visitor can pause, regenerate, and feel welcome, for themselves, for the community, and for the world. 

The codeshare between ITA Airways and Lufthansa Group companies will take off from 1 July 2025.

A single ticket to the final destination

The new codeshares on intercontinental routes will debut on some routes from Europe to Africa, Asia and South America. ITA will thus offer passengers an even wider network and increasingly efficient and integrated flights between Italy and destinations around the world. With a single ticket, passengers will be able to reach their final destination on intercontinental routes in a simpler, smoother and safer way.

More connectivity for customers

“With the introduction of new codeshare flights on intercontinental routes with Lufthansa Group airlines, ITA Airways further strengthens its global presence,- said Joerg Eberhart, CEO and managing director of ITA Airways. -After the launch of the first codeshares on European routes in March, this expansion of the agreements is a further step towards an increasingly rich and extensive connectivity and travel offer for our customers.”

“AZ codeshare flights to African destinations”

Passengers will be able to travel with AZ codeshare on flights to African destinations such as Kenya, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon and Sierra Leone, with tickets going on sale in the coming weeks. This is another step forward in the integration of our airline within the Lufthansa Group, the fourth largest in the world and the first in Europe, which will enable us to achieve increasingly important results for the sustainable growth of ITA Airways."

Flights going on sale in the coming weeks 

Thanks to the new agreement, ITA Airways' AZ code will be introduced on flights to several African destinations served by the Lufthansa Group through Brussels Airport such as Nairobi, Abidjan, Douala, Freetown, Monrovia and Ouagadougou. The flights will go on sale in the coming weeks. At the same time passengers of Lufthansa Group airlines will be able to use a single ticket to intercontinental destinations in ITA's network, including Bangkok, Jeddah and Riyadh, Cairo, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

Cathay Pacific returns to Rome with new opportunities for trade partners.

New business prospects for tourism operators

After the forced suspension during the pandemic, Cathay Pacific is reintroducing flights between Hong Kong and Rome. As of 5 June, the company officially resumed the route with three weekly frequencies during the summer season, offering new business prospects for tourism operators.

“This double Italian gateway allows travellers greater flexibility”

"We have a historical link with Rome, where we have been flying since 1986. Starting from here is a return to our roots for us,' said Lavinia Lau, chief customer and commercial officer of the Cathay Group, in Italy for the take-off of the first flight. Lau added that the route to Rome complements the daily flights already operating to Milan, creating a combined offer that will attract both leisure and business traffic. "This double Italian gateway allows travellers greater flexibility, with the possibility of open-jaw itineraries, inbound on one city and outbound on the other.”

Good signals from the market

The prospects are already encouraging: according to booking data for July and August, the load factor of flights to Rome has already reached 90%. A result that confirms the interest of the Asian market for Italy, also driven by events such as the Jubilee, which is attracting significant flows from Hong Kong, the Philippines and South-East Asia. "The most popular Asian destinations for Italian travellers are Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Bali and mainland China. Hong Kong, as a strategic hub, allows efficient
connections to the entire Asia-Pacific region,” said Lau.

Targeted expansion strategy

Cathay Pacific is committed to a global expansion plan, announcing the opening of 16 new destinations by 2025, including Munich, Dallas, Adelaide, and Brussels from August, for atotal of 100 destinations by the end of June. To support this growth, the Cathay Group has allocated HKD100 billion for investments in fleet and services, including new Boeing 777-9, Airbus A330neo and A350 freighter aircraft with the aim of improving the customer experience and strengthening operational efficiency. "Cathay is a unique company. Although we are part of China, because we are based in Hong Kong, we have a global outlook that sets us apart from purely Chinese or Western companies,” said Lau.

Focus on the trade: tools and support for agents

Particular attention is being paid to the trade. Cathay Pacific has recently updated the cxagents.com portal which supports travel agents with content, booking tools and a platform dedicated to group bookings. Cathay Pacific's return to Rome is a new opportunity for trade operators, who can count on a premium product to satisfy customers looking for quality, flexibility and strategic connections to Asia. "Connecting Rome and Hong Kong means facilitating tourism, cultural and economic exchanges between two dynamic realities. We strongly believe in the potential of this route and in the contribution it can make to the relaunch of Italian tourism.”