The Trame di Luce light art exhibition returns to Rome's Botanical Gardens from 30 November to 6 January 2025.

Light art with a Christmas theme

The event organised by IMG and the Be.it Events team, which is also responsible for the artistic direction, is a unique experience that gives a new light to Christmas, and this year the route, has been designed for all ages. With a truly seductive spectacle of installations and unprecedented and interactive light artworks, all with low environmental impact, Trame di Luce has been created in collaboration with national and international artists.

The entrance is at the National Academy of the Lincei 

Divided into 22 stages, the works of light art, some of which have never been seen before, have been created specifically for Rome, and have been inspired by the themed events realised by the IMG group in Windsor Park in Great Britain and in the Domaine National de Saint Claude in Paris.  From the very first moment the creations lead into a dreamlike dimension. Thousands of traditional and innovative lighting installations will create spectacular and luminous works of art, filling the gardens of the Botanical Garden with magic along an immersive en plein air itinerary of light art with a low environmental impact and designed for a public of every age.

“Visitors will become co-protagonists”

“This will be an even more spectacular edition, bringing a new light to Christmas and its traditions, thanks to the artists who are the protagonists of the installations and light works- says creative director Silvia Dorigo. -This year, moreover, visitors will not participate in the tours as mere spectators but will be involved to the point of becoming co-protagonists of the route themselves, contributing to composing the magic in which they will be immersed.”

QR codes to interact with the installations

Another novelty of this edition will be a free story accessible to everyone via QR codes distributed along the route; a story that will offer hints on how to understand, approach and interact with each work. Admission to the sensorial Trame di Luce exhibition is at the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei in Via Corsini 25, and tickets can be purchased on www.tramediluce.it or directly on site. The cost varies from €12 to €25, with packages for families and groups, and reductions for certain categories. The opening hours, from 6pm to 11pm (with the last admission at approximately 9pm), will be from Saturday 30 November 2024 to Monday 6 January 2025, from Wednesday to Sunday, with special openings every day from Thursday 26 December to Monday 6 January. The exhibition is closed on Tuesday 24 December, Wednesday 25 December and Tuesday 31 December. 

The new edition of the safety briefing card, a collaboration between ITA Airways and Enac (Italian Civil Aviation Authority), is a support for blind and visually impaired passengers.

Braille and high-contrast characters

The briefing card in Italian and English, which will be available on board the company’s entire fleet by 2025, provides safety information in Braille with tactile figures for the blind and high-contrast characters for the visually impaired. With UV printing, and thanks to the use of multi-sensory and innovative technologies, the card will include texts and colours suitable for the visually impaired, Braille texts, 3D figures showing emergency exits, cabin layout, use of seat belts, emergency positions, use of life jackets and oxygen masks.

“It is a small step, but it expresses a laudable will”

Among the first to express his satisfaction was the Italian artist Andrea Bocelli: “I celebrate Enac's initiative to equip the entire fleet with safety briefing cards in Braille. It is a small step, but it expresses a laudable will in the direction of increasingly full independence for the blind.”

Sustainability is a fundamental pillar for ITA Airways

‘This project sees us once again working together with institutions to achieve a common goal; this time by significantly improving the service offered to the visually impaired and increasing in-flight safety for all passengers,- said Antonino Turicchi, ITA Airways’ president. -Sustainability is a fundamental pillar for ITA Airways, just as it is a responsibility towards the environment and our customers.”  ‘This new safety briefing card,- said Enac’s president Pierluigi Di Palma,  -is a further tool dedicated to the inclusion and autonomy of all passengers, even those with visual impairments who, with these aids, will be able to experience air travel in serenity. ENAC has always stood by passengers, ensuring their freedom to fly with confidence."

Italo is focusing on services and intermodality and has restyled its spectacular Italo Club Lounge at Milano Centrale. 

New lounges in other Italian cities

Located on the upper floor of Milan’s central railway station, from the top of its glass roof the lounge offers views over the tracks, and it also offers dedicated services, wi-fi, newspapers and served food. Entrance to the lounge is for passengers with first or higher class tickets, ItaloPiù Privilege and Privilege Plus and the Corporate Premium, Privilege and Privilege Plus cards as well as on payment. The renovation of the lounge is part of a broader strategy launched by Italo and focused on consolidating and expanding services and on intermodality. As already happened with the Rome lounge and will happen with others, the lounges are part of that added value of customer satisfaction that puts the traveller at the centre of choices, according to the rail company.

Italo's CEO, Gianbattista La Rocca

“We serve the whole of Italy with trains and Itabus services”

Italo's CEO, Gianbattista La Rocca said: “Italo is the Europe’s leading intermodal group. Today we serve the whole of Italy with trains and Itabus services. We recently debuted abroad and with the entry of MSC in the Italo shareholding, and we intend offering an extensive and widespread service, connecting large cities, provincial towns, ports and airports with just one click through a platform that integrates all the services, while expanding our network of partners, to offer an increasingly broad and varied catalogue of pre and post-trip services.”

“Travel agencies are valuable partners”

“We are focusing a lot on the business market, towards a high-spending clientele who wants added value and assistance,- said sales director Marco De Angelis. -The lounges offer functionality and comfort and in December we will be opening one in Bologna. We are reinforcing the frequency on high-traffic routes like Rome, Turin and Venice with trains every half-hour and every hour. In addition, with the arrival of new trains we will expand the network on new routes, while intermodality allows us to serve by bus those destinations that cannot be reached by train.”  As for travel agencies, “they are valuable partners. We have a total of 2700 coded agencies, 250 of which are top performers. We can count on a fleet of 51 trains, of which 26 evo and 25 agv, on 53 cities with 118 frequencies per day. As far as the entry of a third operator is concerned, we consider it a positive factor, competition can only be good for travellers, as already happened when Italo entered the market.” 

American Airlines increases the number of flights to Rome, Naples and Venice for the summer of 2025.

The summer with American’s most extensive operations to Italy

2025 will be the summer with the US airline's most extensive operations to Italy. Tickets for the new flights, operational from next May, went on sale on 4 November 2024. Flights between Chicago and Naples will become daily from 6 May, as will those between Dallas and Venice, from 5 June: in both cases the routes will be served by Boeing 787-8s. 

Daily Miami-Rome flights

Rome will see daily flights from Miami, starting June 5, operated by Boeing 777-200s, and the introduction of a second daily connection from Philadelphia starting June 5; Boeing 787-9s and -8s will be used on the route.

“Italy continues to be in high demand for summer travel”

“Italy continues to be in high demand for summer travel, and American is making it easier than ever for passengers to shop, dine or relax in their favourite destinations,” said Brian Znotins, senior vice president of network and schedule planning.

More flights for London and Madrid 

In the coming year, American will also expand connections to joint business partners' hubs with additional daily flights from Dallas and Miami to London and a new service between Chicago and Madrid. Thanks to these partnerships, passengers will be able to travel seamlessly to more than 175 destinations in Europe.

Ryanair, Europe's Number 1 airline has just celebrated 15 million passengers at Lamezia Terme International Airport.

The Calabria Region abolished the municipal surtax

The low fares airline has also launched a new route to Tirana, operating four days weekly. Ryanair's journey with Lamezia began in 2000 and since then the company has added domestic and international services, driving air traffic, providing jobs and supporting the growth of tourism. A growth supported by the strategic decision of the Calabria Region to eliminate the municipal surtax, thus enabling Ryanair to rapidly increase its capacity and exploit the region's full tourism potential.

Over 165 weekly flights and a new service to Tirana

Ryanair has made significant investments in Lamezia, including the placement of an aircraft, representing a total investment of $100m and supporting over 1,100 jobs. It also brings year-round inbound tourism to Lamezia with more than 165 flights per week (+27% compared to last winter) on 12 routes, including new winter connections to Tirana and Brussels, as well as increased frequencies to seven existing popular destinations, offering citizens and visitors to Calabria an unbeatable choice at the lowest prices for their winter holidays.

“Increased frequencies to existing destinations”

Fabrizio Francioni, Ryanair's head of communications Italy, said: “This important milestone of 15 million passengers testifies to Ryanair's continued growth and investment in Lamezia. This winter it will operate over 165 weekly flights to/from Lamezia on 12 routes, including the brand new flights to Tirana, and increased frequencies to existing destinations including Milan, Pisa, Turin, Venice and Verona. Ryanair was delighted to offer Katarina D'Amato, passenger number 15 million at Lamezia, a voucher to travel from Lamezia to any destination, inviting her to sit back, relax and enjoy her flights with Ryanair. We hope to carry more and more passengers on Ryanair's low-fare flights to/from Lamezia in the coming years.” 

“A second based aircraft for summer 2025”

Marco Franchini, director of SACAL, commented: “For almost 25 years, Ryanair has been a key strategic partner for Lamezia Terme Airport and for the whole of Calabria, contributing substantially to the growth of air traffic, the enhancement of regional tourism and the creation of new economic opportunities. The addition of new winter routes and the arrival of the second based aircraft for the 2025 summer season, further strengthens its commitment. Ryanair continues to offer Calabrian travellers and visitors ever wider and more competitive access to numerous domestic and international destinations. We are delighted to celebrate these new milestones together with Ryanair as we look to the future.”

Rome-Los Angeles is the new transatlantic route of Norse Atlantic Airways: the connection will operate three weekly flights with a Boeing 787-9 starting from 22 May 2025.

“Enjoying our convenient and comfortable flights”

The company is relaunching on the Eternal City, which is already connected with a daily flight to New York, in view of a growth in demand for travel between the two sides of the Atlantic. “We are proud to present this new and exciting route connecting Rome and Los Angeles, two of the most dynamic cities in the world. Our passengers will have the opportunity to explore the history of Rome and the cultural energy of Los Angeles, while enjoying our convenient and comfortable flights,” said Bjørn Tore Larsen, CEO and founder of Norse Atlantic Airways.

Rome-Los Angeles fares start from €149 

Tickets are already on sale, with one-way fares starting at €149 between Rome and Los Angeles and $199 between Los Angeles and Rome, taxes included. Norse Atlantic also plans to re-establish the Los Angeles-Oslo route for the summer of 2025, after launching in 2022, thus returning for the third consecutive summer season. The Los Angeles-Oslo flights will operate up to three times a week, from 23 May 2025 until 26 September 2025.

Trenitalia has signed an MoU with SkyTeam to offer combined air+train itineraries in a single booking.

Destinations throughout Italy

The partnership will allow travellers arriving in Italy on a flight operated by a SkyTeam member airline to reach a wide range of destinations across the country on Trenitalia's high-speed trains. For example, travellers will be able to fly from New York-JFK to Rome Fiumicino, collect their luggage, board a Frecciarossa high-speed train, and travel to one of the destinations served.

Boosting intermodal traffic

“Italy is an important global market for business and leisure travellers, and by partnering with Trenitalia, we can offer customers more options to go where they want and how they want, while taking advantage of the SkyTeam members’ benefits,” commented the airline alliance CEO Patrick Roux.  “The partnership with SkyTeam offers customers reliable, high-quality train travel integrated with international flight schedules,- added Mario Alovisi, marketing director of Trenitalia and CEO Italia Loyalty. - With SkyTeam, we want to make travel more intermodal and look forward to welcoming SkyTeam customers to the extensive Frecciarossa network throughout Italy.” 

Miles can be redeemed on train services

When the partnership becomes effective SkyTeam frequent flyer members will be able to earn and redeem miles when travelling on selected Frecciarossa routes; similarly, members of Trenitalia's CartaFreccia traveller loyalty programme will be able to earn and redeem points on selected SkyTeam flights. SkyPriority services will be offered at train stations wherever possible, benefiting SkyTeam Elite and Elite Plus members and Trenitalia's CartaFRECCIA Platinum and Gold members.

Trenitalia operates in 23 Italian airports

There are currently 14 SkyTeam member airlines flying to Italy from Europe, America, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and China. Trenitalia focuses on intermodality and sustainability offering connections to 23 Italian airports, including SkyTeam's Rome Fiumicino hub. Frecciarossa is part of the Frecce network that reaches 150 destinations in Italy with more than 270 daily connections. Italian cities served by SkyTeam member airlines include Rome, Milan, Turin, Venice, Genoa, Bologna, Florence, Naples, Verona, Palermo, Catania, Bari and Cagliari.

Thanksgiving 2024, and it’s time to celebrate the most eagerly awaited US holiday at Rome’s Hassler Hotel.

The Hassler Hotel at the top of Rome’s Spanish Steps

The most iconic American holiday will be celebrated in grand style in Rome in one of the city's symbolic venues of elegance and hospitality: the Hotel Hassler, which stands at the top of the Spanish Steps.  On 28 November in the Salone Eva, the gourmet lounge of the hotel owned by the Wirth family, the American Thanksgiving Day will be celebrated.

A buffet dinner from 7.30 p.m. on 28 November 

The roots of this holiday are ancient dating back to 1621. It is a secular holiday that included rituals aimed at giving thanks for the abundance of the harvest and for the previous year. For this reason on Thanksgiving Day family tables are filled with seasonal products such as pumpkins, nuts, cereals and fresh fruit, spices and sweet potatoes.  The same ingredients on the menu designed for the occasion by the Executive Chef of the Eva Salon, Marcello Romano, for the buffet dinner scheduled on 28 November from 7.30 p.m. onwards.

The king of the table will be the Roast Turkey

Among the dishes on the table will be a mouth-watering Pumpkin and Taleggio Cheese Flan, and Pumpkin Cream with Bread Croutons. Then on to the Lasagna of Pumpkin and Ricotta Cheese with Truffle and to the king of the table, the Roast Turkey stuffed with Walnuts and Honey, which will also be reinterpreted in an Italian key with Turkey Meatballs in Gravy with Sultanas and Pine Nuts.

A selection of desserts and Brownies

Accompanying the main courses will be Pumpkin, fried with chilli or grilled in apple vinegar, and Brussels Sprouts in Butter, as well as the ever-present Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Red Cabbage with Apples and Glazed Chestnuts, accompanied by Caramelized Endive, all served with Cranberry and Truffle Sauce. A contemporary touch and a perfect balance to the main courses will be found in the desserts proposed by the pastry chef Martina Emili. From Apple Crumble to Pecan Pie, and from Pumpkin Tart to Popcorn Cake. And for chocolate lovers there will be Brownies. The cost of the dinner is €125 per person, excluding drinks.

For information and reservations:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

A WTM Global Travel Report highlighted how extreme weather is forcing travellers to rethink destinations.

Travellers are concerned about extreme weather

According to the report released on 6 November at the World Travel Market in London, travellers are actively starting to avoid destinations exposed to extreme weather.  The report, in association with Tourism Economics, found that 29% of travellers from key global markets have avoided visiting a destination in the past 12 months due to concerns about inclement or extreme weather. Extreme weather – such as wildfires, flooding and unusually high temperatures – is widely accepted to be a direct result of man-made climate change. Evidence is emerging that extreme weather events will increase as the climate continues to warm, and Gen Z travellers, aged between 18 and 34, are more likely than the average to avoid destinations exposed to extreme weather.  More than two in five (43%) have admitted to reconsidering where to go based on the weather.

More sustainable options are needed 

Tourism economics data in the report shows that only a slight majority (53%) of travellers say that they attempt to minimize their carbon footprint when travelling. At the same time, nearly two in three (65%)  acknowledge that travel has a negative impact on the environment. This disconnect can be closed by travel sellers helping travellers to make climate-friendly and sustainable choices.  Booking.com 2023 figures showed that 74% of travellers want more sustainable options made available, and that 65% would feel better staying in accommodation with sustainable certification. However, sellers and suppliers with a strong sustainability story to tell are being held back by concerns over “green washing.” Skift research cited in the report shows that 75% of travellers are skeptical about travel company’s sustainable practices.

Overtourism is high on the agenda for many cities

Overtourism and the impact on local communities and resources is an important part of the sustainability conversation. In Europe, cities such as Barcelona, Amsterdam and Venice have been trying to address this but, according to Tourism Economics data, there has been little change. Using 2019 as a base level, visitor nights per capita, or the “travel density” for these three cities, has increased, albeit marginally, over the past five years. Juliette Losardo, exhibition director, World Travel Market, said: “Travel is perhaps the industry most exposed to the climate emergency and the wider concerns around sustainability.  Our role at WTM is to inform and educate, and there is a lot in the latest WTM Global Travel report which sellers and suppliers can take away, and inform their own decision-making process when it comes to the climate and sustainability.”