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Grand Hotel Flora will reopen in April in Sorrento, completely renovated and debuting as a four-star design hotel.

Maintaining a strong link with its history

Designed as an open and dynamic place and with a panoramic rooftop, the new Grand Hotel Flora is set to become an instant social hub in the heart of the Amalfi Coast. Founded in the 1960s and managed for many years by the Mascolo family, the Grand Hotel Flora has been a historic address for local hospitality, growing under family management based on daily passion and personal dedication. Today, with the third generation taking over the management, the hotel is embarking on a process of profound transformation that is renewing its identity and positioning, while maintaining a strong link with its history.

Respect for local traditions and authenticity

The project is based on a clear entrepreneurial vision, focused on the development of a contemporary, lifestyle-driven and design-conscious hospitality model, with an eye also on the future expansion. The aim being to build a recognizable identity, made up of sophisticated food and beverage services and respect for the tradition and authenticity of the local area. The complete renovation project, overseen by architect Giuliano Andrea Dell'Uva, strikes a balance between restoration and contemporary style, restoring the historic hotel's original spirit and charm, reinterpreted with a modern sensibility and lightness.

A contemporary tribute to local artisans

The new lobby, restored to the styleof the years when it first opened, welcomes guests like a large Sorrento home: here, a restored historic piano, vintage furniture and a white ceramic fireplace have found a new home. The shades of blue of Sorrento’s sea reflect in the hand-glazed terracotta floor of the large entrance hall, while the light staircase designed in the late 1960s now overlooks a garden with date palms and citrus trees. The entire project is a contemporary tribute to local artisans, who played a leading role in the creation of the hand-painted flooring, boiserie and mosaic panels.

Published in Hospitality

Puglia remains one of Europe's most attractive regions, thanks to its unique blend of culture, landscapes and lifestyle, and it also offers tax-free shopping at Puglia Village.  

2025: a 62% increase in tax-free volumes

Puglia Village - Land of Fashion has consolidated its role as an experiential destination, combining shopping, tourism and the discovery of the local area through a programme of activities designed to attract international travellers. Puglia Village has entered into an agreement with Global Blue to anticipate and speed up tax-free refunds inside the village with a new digital kiosk for tax-free refunds, allowing non-EU visitors to anticipate and speed up the tax-free process and thereby significantly improving the shopping experience for tourists. During the 2025 fiscal year, the Village recorded a 62% increase in tax-free volumes and a 73% increase in transactions. Visitors from the United States, Switzerland, Argentina, Albania and Turkey are leading the way in tourist spending.

Partnerships with ITA, Air France/KLM, Meliá and Trenitalia   

The year began with the strengthening of strategic partnerships and continued with a widespread presence at major international travel industry events, including TTG, Madrid, Milan, Bari, Istanbul, Belgrade, Berlin, Zagreb, Dubai and Paris. The agreement with Trenitalia included the shopping experience in the CartaFreccia loyalty programme, while the partnership with Swiss Post ensured widespread distribution of tourist materials in the Canton of Ticino. Collaborations with Air France/KLM and ITA Airways loyalty programmes were also renewed, as were those with MeliáRewards and ACI through the “Show Your Card!” circuit.

Fam trips and campaigns in new markets

Fam trips proved to be strategic tools: from the Dach market – in collaboration with Michelangelo International Travel – and Albanian operators were invited to experience first-hand the shopping in the Village and the heritage of the area in which it is located.  “‘2025 was a turning point for Puglia Village's incoming tourism, we reaped the rewards of the actions taken in previous years and implemented new initiatives, including multilingual communication tools and campaigns dedicated to new markets,” says Annalisa Evangelista, centre manager Puglia Village.

Published in Leisure

After 55 months, with the completion of the Romeo Project, Verona Airport has a new, expanded departures area.

The new departures area cost €90 million

With a total investment of €90 million a new era began for Verona Airport this week with the cutting of the ribbon for the new departures area. The surface area has increased from the previous 24,840 sqm to 36,370 sqm in addition to the renovation of over 10,000 sqm of existing areas. With traffic of 4 million passengers in 2025, an all-time record for the airport, the Catullo can now count on a terminal that will facilitate the significant growth expected in the coming years.

Verona 1

Environmentally sustainable and highly maintainable

The work, carried out with the technical expertise of the Save Group, includes the architectural redevelopment of the check-in hall, new boarding lounges on the first floor, boarding gates that have increased from 13 to 19, three new towers connected by glass and steel walkways, a new state-of-the-art baggage handling system  and new security checks  with 7 state-of-the-art tomographic machines. The infrastructure has been designed with environmental sustainability, high maintainability and energy saving in mind.

Verona Aelia Dutyfree

The airport handled 19 million passengers in 2025

The new Shopping Gallery is a key part of the Romeo Project, and the new lounge is reserved for passengers with special travel tickets and frequent flyers, as well as those purchasing an entry ticket. The ground floor on the airside is designed as a comfortable environment for waiting, relaxing or working before boarding. “This is an important day for Catullo Airport, which symbolically delivers the new infrastructure to Verona and the entire territory it serves. Last year we recorded 19 million passengers. In recent years, Catullo has grown significantly in terms of traffic volumes, diversification and the quality of flight operations, and this new terminal is a fundamental step towards better management of the expected further traffic development,” said Gruppo Save’s president Enrico Marchi.

Verona Amore
ph credits: Lorenzo Donatello

Published in Transportation

“Italian style” is the key element that distinguishes Sicily by Car, which is driving forward its international expansion plan.

“Development in Europe and, more generally, internationally”

The company is active in short- and medium-term leisure car hire, and it is expanding its presence well beyond national borders.  “I am very optimistic about the company's development in Europe and, more generally, internationally,- confirms the president, Tommaso Dragotto. -I believe that expansion beyond national borders is the only viable path after 63 years of activity: I am counting on our business model as a distinctive and qualifying factor to attract leisure tourism in the four-wheel mobility segment. We aim to conquer new destinations with high tourist traffic in the name of a company that was proudly founded in Sicily and has developed worldwide."

Many new openings in the pipeline

Following its listing on the stock exchange Sicily by Car pursued an international development plan that led it to work in the main European tourist markets. Present in Albania, Malta, France and Austria, the company is also focusing on expansion in the Balkans and the Iberian Peninsula. Among the destinations covered by the company's offices are Croatia and Montenegro. Upcoming openings include Valencia, Madrid, Barcelona and Faro. Rotterdam and Amsterdam are also on the way.

A family business with international ambitions

While international expansion is important, in Italy the company has 60 offices and a widespread service that is also reflected in its 30 offices abroad. The organizational structure employs approximately 600 people in Italy and 250 abroad. In his speech at the recent BIT travel show, the president underscored how the company's growth has never caused it to lose its original identity: a company that has developed while maintaining a family business culture, but with a managerial vision and international ambitions.

Growth through geographical expansion

The presentation at BIT also put the focus on human capital. “The company must be a great place to work. Hence the need to invest in employees, enhancing their skills and creating a stimulating and stable professional environment,” said Dragotto 2026 not only marks an important milestone, but also starts a new phase of development. The strategy envisages growth through geographical expansion, revenue diversification and greater integration with the most dynamic European markets, while continuing to preserve the necessary independence.

Published in Tour operator

Milan Malpensa Airport confirms that “runway 35L/17R will be temporarily closed to flight operations from 16 March-9 May 2026. 

Minimizing the impact on operations

This closure will allow for extraordinary maintenance and technological innovation of the runway.  During the works, which are part of the airport infrastructure maintenance programme, Malpensa will remain fully operational thanks to the use of the second runway, with a reduction in the airport's overall capacity. A joint statement by ENAC and SEA explains that, in conjunction with ENAV, Assoclearance and the carriers, a series of actions are planned to ensure maximum commitment to the coordinated management of activities, with the aim of minimizing the impact on operations and guaranteeing the continuity of service in compliance with the highest safety standards.

“Rescheduling flights to Linate”

improvement of infrastructure and services. We guarantee citizens “the right to mobility by minimizing the number of days the runway is closed and rescheduling flights to Linate: a concrete solution to eliminate inconvenience and ensure continuity of service,” said ENAC’s president Pierluigi Di Palma. ‘The work planned on one of the runways at Milan Malpensa is part of a structured investment plan to ensure the long-term infrastructure solidity, safety and operational reliability of the airport, strengthening its competitiveness,” said Armando Brunini, CEO of SEA Milan Airports. “Advance planning of the work will minimize the impact on users and ensure operational continuity and the quality of service for passengers using Milan’s airport system."

A new LED lighting system

The works will involve resurfacing the runway and aircraft taxiways, as well as modernizing the technological systems, with the aim of ensuring high standards of safety and operational reliability over time. The lighting system will also be completely replaced, with the use of innovative LED lamps and the installation of a new lighting monitoring system. The works will also affect part of the taxiways, requiring some changes to the usual procedures for managing aircraft ground movements, and will be carried out 24 hours a day, seven days a week.   

Increased capacity at Milan Linate

ENAC, at the operator's request, has temporarily increased the operational capacity of Milan Linate Airport, limited to the period of closure of runway 35L at Malpensa, in order to allow the temporary reallocation of part of the historical traffic operated by Milan Malpensa. In particular, the capacity of Milan Linate airport, set at 18 movements per hour, has been increased to a maximum of 8 additional movements per hour, only for flights to/from Schengen destinations, operated with narrow-body aircraft. Within the new temporary capacity, the actual use to date is two additional movements per hour, limited to certain time slots.

Published in Transportation

Elle Viaggi offers a different way of travelling and the Basilicata you don’t expect to discover.  

Compete cultural experiences 

It is a more conscious, more profound, more authentic way of travelling.  Based in Basilicata, Elle Viaggi stands out for its original itineraries that are off the beaten track, designed for those who want to get to know the country through art, history, hidden villages and local communities. Elle Viaggi transforms every trip into a complete cultural experience, where the territory is not just a destination but a story to be lived. The tours are conceived as true narrative journeys, in which art, architecture, landscape and traditions interact with each other, creating immersive and engaging experiences. Emblematic in this sense is the rediscovery of little-known villages, charming historic centres and places of art far from mass tourism, enhanced through guided tours, experiential activities and innovative formats.

Theme tours linked to art and culture

Among Elle Viaggi's most original offerings are theme tours linked to art and culture, combining historical insight with an experiential approach, as well as itineraries that intertwine artistic heritage, nature and food and wine, also available in ad hoc packages tailored to different travel needs.

Making a cultural visit a true narrative adventure

One of Elle Viaggi's strengths is its ability to combine art, history and play, as demonstrated by the innovative tour “Guided tour of Tursi playing Toursikon”, an immersive experience that transforms a cultural visit into a true narrative adventure. Other eexamples of the most evocative itineraries include the “Borghi e Natura” tour, a three-day journey through the Calanchi, the Pollino National Park and the historic village of Rabatana, discovering unique landscapes and local traditions. The tour of vineyards and castles is an immersion in the history, architecture and flavours of Vulture with local wine tastings and visits to ancient castles, and the Basilicata Wine Tour is a food and wine itinerary with walks in vineyards, visits to wineries and insights into the culture and identity of the area.

The human dimension is central

Elle Viaggi takes a tailor-made approach to creating trips, taking care of every detail and accompanying travellers throughout every stage of the experience. The human dimension is central: small groups, direct relationships with guides, producers and local businesses, and a focus on sustainability and respect for the local area are fundamental elements of the company's philosophy.

Published in Tour operator

A mission in the spotlight: to promote Venice through both new and traditional events that contribute to reviving quality tourism, with valuable benefits for the local area. 

Services for culture in Venice

Vela is an established organization operating in various fields, with event organization and implementation as one of its key areas of expertise. “It has been a long journey, and today we have consolidated our role as a link between the public transport system and its users, Venetians and visitors alike, extending our services to the city's cultural institutions,” explains general manager Fabrizio D'Oria.

Art sites, events and sports

In 2026, Vela will focus its activities on an increasingly wide range of projects, which, as D'Oria points out, “are ad hoc, and based on a 360-degree analysis of the interests of tourism and businesses, without neglecting the needs of the local community.” The promotion and marketing of the city's main exhibitions and art sites, the conception, organization and marketing of traditional events and special events in the city, and the box office function for major national sporting events stand out among the projects.

The Venezia Unica City Pass for visitors

Also in the spotlight is the marketing of all the activities and services of the Teatro la Fenice foundation and the visitor “Venezia Unica City Pass” for the main cultural sites in Venice. The company is also at the forefront of local public transport management and mobility services.Another key segment is conferences and events, with the management of important modular and multifunctional event venues.

A city access fee benefitting visitors and residents 

Vela is also involved in monitoring the trial that led to the introduction of the city access fee, designed to limit the damage caused by hit-and-run tourism, and the consequences forVenice's delicate balance. “The balance sheet is positive partly because the measure is limited to those who do not stay overnight in the city and the proceeds are used not only to cover the costs of the operation itself but also to benefit residents, who see a reduction in their TARI waste disposal tax.”

Published in Tour operator

Monaci delle Terre Nere has returned to Dubai to promote the property and further strengthen its role in the high-end outbound market. 

Travel Hashtag Advisory: an exclusive format 

The Sicilian luxury resort has chosen to rely once again on Travel Hashtag Advisory, this time participating in “Table for 9”, the global strategic consulting boutique's most exclusive relational format, conceived as a true one-brand show.

Suites and villas converted from old farmhouses

Located on the slopes of Mount Etna on a 25-hectare organic estate, the resort combines essential elegance, well-spaced architecture, farm-to-table cuisine and an approach to sustainability that does not compromise on comfort. Suites and villas converted from old farmhouses, artisanal attention to detail and a philosophy of “natural luxury” have consolidated the resort's position as an elite destination for international travellers seeking intimate, authentic experiences deeply rooted in Sicilian culture.

“The UAE market is attentive and sophisticated”

“Returning to Dubai after last year's success was a natural choice. The United Arab Emirates market is attentive, sophisticated and receptive to an idea of luxury that is not limited to aesthetics, but stems from the territory, sustainability and the quality of relationships. “Table for 9” offered us the opportunity to tell our story in the most authentic and unhurried way: through dialogue, attention to detail and the ability to create real connections with professionals who share our vision,” said Giovanna Manganaro, general manager of Monaci delle Terre Nere.

Representing Sicilian excellence

With its return to the United Arab Emirates, Monaci delle Terre Nere continues its internationalization process, bringing to the world a model of hospitality that combines nature, culture and high quality, and confirming its vocation to represent Sicilian excellence in the most prestigious global of contexts.

Published in Hospitality

The knock-on effect of the Olympics on the Italian hotel industry is being felt, at least judging by the data released by BWH Hotels.

Revenues up over 30% across Italy

Confirmed revenues for the Olympic and Paralympic period exceed 30% across Italy: in many of the areas most involved in the Games with bookings having exceeded 2025 levels. Milan is leading this trend, having already surpassed last year's results well in advance. The city has also reached 80% of the rooms that are historically booked for the entire February-March period, an exceptional advance compared to previous years. If we also consider the hinterland together with Milan, the area as a whole shows RevPAR up 18% and ADR up 64% compared to the same period in 2025.

Positive growth for all Olympic destinations 

The positive trend is not limited to Milan and its hinterland: other Olympic destinations are also recording a significant increase in bookings compared to the same period last year. In Lombardy other locations show an average of 27% more rooms booked and a 55% higher ADR, with peaks in Valtellina. Veneto shows equally marked growth, with greater pressure in the final weeks of the Games: in particular, the Verona area shows a +22% increase in rooms booked with an ADR up 18%; Padua and Treviso show a +24% increase in rooms booked with an ADR up 5%, and Venice and Mestre recorded a +36% increase in room bookings with an ADR increase of 5%. 

“The real value is expressed in the long term”

The Olympics effect is therefore proving to be a driving force not only for the period of the event, but for the entire 2026 season, as Sara Digiesi, CEO of BWH Hotels Italy & South-East Europe, points out: "We must remember that the impact of the Olympics goes beyond immediate performance: the real value is expressed in the long term, generating benefits not only for hotels but for the entire economy, thanks to the attraction of new flows, the strengthening of the reputation of a destination and widespread benefits for the entire tourism sector. The current signs are very promising and allow us to start this extraordinary year with a solid foundation and a network ready to take full advantage of the opportunities generated by the Games."

Published in Hospitality

From May France will be linked to the Salento with charter flights to Brindisi Airport.

Flying from four French airports

Tour operator ThalassoN1 will fly from the French airports of Saint-Étienne, Lille, La Rochelle and Le Havre to Brindisi Airport starting in May, The new flights will allow French tourists to reach the Salento area directly, further strengthening Puglia's presence on international tourist markets and confirming the growing interest in the region as a quality destination that combines wellness, culture, food and wine, and beautiful landscapes.

Over half a million between arrivals and departures

 the growth and consolidation of AdP's international network. France remains one of the main reference markets for our region, among the most loyal and dynamic, with 550,000 passengers between arrivals and departures, making a decisive contribution to the overall results of Puglia’s airport system. These results are the fruit of a strategy planned over time and based on solid relationships with carriers and a shared vision of territorial development. This approach enhances the great tourist and economic potential of the Salento area, which is increasingly establishing itself as a highly prized destination that attracts an international audience attentive to the quality of the offer and the authenticity of the territories” said the president of Aeroporti di Puglia, Antonio Maria Vasile.

Better tourist flows throughout the year

“The new international charter connections to Brindisi confirm the strategic centrality of Salento airport in Puglia’s mobility system and in strengthening the accessibility of the region. Investing in targeted air connections means supporting more balanced and continuous tourism development throughout the year, while at the same time enhancing all existing infrastructure and teamwork between the Puglia Region, Aeroporti di Puglia and operators in the sector,” said Regional Councillor for Infrastructure and Mobility Raffaele Piemontese, 

Published in Transportation
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