May 21, 2026
ITA Airways and Trenitalia have signed a new IA-based memorandum of understanding.
A smart, sustainable intermodal ecosystem
The agreement aims at developing a “smart, sustainable and increasingly integrated intermodal ecosystem based on the adoption of artificial intelligence and advanced digital solutions to remove obstacles for travellers.” The focus is therefore on efficient multimodal mobility, capable of seamlessly integrating rail, road and air travel, improving the door-to-door travel experience for passengers and contributing to the achievement of environmental sustainability objectives.
A joint AI intermodality and sustainability lab
There are also plans to set up a joint AI Intermodality and Sustainability Lab, dedicated to the design, development and testing of priority use cases based on artificial intelligence and data, with particular reference to intermodality, travel flow optimization, predictive demand management and CO₂ emissions reduction.
“Making travel more efficient and sustainable”
“This is a further step in a process that began in 2023 on the development of the integrated Air-Rail ticket, an increasingly popular product, confirming how much passengers appreciate increasingly interconnected travel solutions,- said Joerg Eberhart, CEO and general manager ITA Airways. -We want to make a quantum leap and using artificial intelligence, we will be able to take structural action to overcome the operational obstacles of the intermodal experience, simplify processes and anticipate customer needs, making travel more efficient and sustainable. ITA and the Ferrovie dello Stato group share the ambition and mission of connecting Italian territories, while also helping to connect Italy with the world. To do this we must integrate industrial vision, technological innovation and strategic alliances. With the signing of this memorandum, we are building a truly integrated and future-oriented mobility ecosyste."
“Accelerating the transformation of the transport system”
“The memorandum scales up an idea of mobility that goes beyond a single means of transport and moves towards an integrated, digital and sustainable system serving the country. The collaboration with ITA Airways allows us to combine our expertise to make the travel experience simpler, promoting increasingly seamless integration between rail, road and air transport," said Gianpiero Strisciuglio, Trenitalia’s CEO and general manager. -We value artificial intelligence and advanced digital solutions as strategic levers for removing obstacles to intermodality projects, optimizing flows, and contributing to the reduction of emissions. Setting up the AI Intermodality and Sustainability Lab is a concrete step towards jointly developing and testing priority use cases and accelerating the transformation of the transport system.”
Published in Digital
Rome Fiumicino Airport has been confirmed, for the ninth consecutive year, as the best in Europe.
Fiumicino and Ciampino both awarded
The accolade goes for the quality of services Fiumicino offers travellers in the category of large hubs with over 40 million passengers. The award comes from ACI World at the close of the Airport Service Quality Customer Experience Awards 2025, which also recognized Ciampino's Giovan Battista Pastine Airport for the third consecutive year in the category of airports with 2-5 million travellers.
Rome’s two airports confirm their European leadership
Italy has thus confirmed its European leadership through the capital's airport system, managed by Aeroporti di Roma, a Mundys Group company that is consolidating its position and looking forward to the implementation of the Leonardo da Vinci Airport Development Plan, which is crucial to ensuring service standards and capacity adequate to meet growing demand.
Fiumicino scored a record 4.64/5
With a record score of 4.64 (on a scale of 1 to 5), in 2025 Rome Fiumicino ranks first among all 124 European airports and among the major European and North American hubs participating in the survey, while winning all award categories. In addition to Best Airport, the airport also won awards for Most Dedicated Staff, Easiest Airport Journey, Most Enjoyable and Cleanest Airport in Europe, excelling in customer experience, from travel efficiency and hospitality to cleanliness and overall comfort. Ciampino, on the other hand, was awarded Best Airport in the 2 to 5 million passenger category and the Most Dedicated Staff award.
“Investing in innovation…and infrastructure”
“This award is, first and foremost, further confirmation of the great work carried out every day by our people and the entire airport community,- said Marco Troncone, CEO Aeroporti di Roma. -It is the result of a firm policy of investment in infrastructure and the internalization and management of the most sensitive operational activities for our users. With traffic constantly growing, confirming our European leadership for the ninth consecutive year now means taking on an additional responsibility: continuing along this path, investing in innovation, processes and infrastructure.”
55 million passengers in Fiumicino and Ciampino
“To maximize the appeal of our destination, which in 2025 has already brought us to a record figure of over 55 million passengers in total between Fiumicino and Ciampino airports, we need a medium- to long-term vision for infrastructure development. This is why we believe it is essential and urgent to continue along the path set out in our Airport Development Plan: this is a choice that can no longer be postponed in order to strengthen the country's international connectivity, support tourism and the economy, and make Leonardo da Vinci increasingly a strategic platform for global transit flows”.
Published in Transportation
The new Finnair route connecting Helsinki with Turin will be annual and not seasonal, operating three weekly flights year-round.
Year-round connections to Turin
The Finnish airline has announced this change in operations, which also includes year-round flights on the other two new routes for summer 2026, namely Luxembourg and Valencia. "We are constantly developing our network and increasing capacity where it best meets the needs of our passengers. Year-round connections provide our customers with flexible and reliable travel options in all seasons," explains Antti Tolvanen, Finnair's senior vice president of network and revenue optimization.
Turin is both a winter and summer destination
Turin is particularly suitable for winter sports enthusiasts. The carrier will fly to Turin’s Caselle airport once a week throughout the winter season and twice a week during the peak winter sport season, from January to March. In the summer, Finnair flies to Turin three times a week.
“Improving connectivity between Italy and our Helsinki hub”
Geoffrey Carrage, Finnair's regional manager Southern Europe, said: “Italy is a strategic market for Finnair, and the opening of the new route to Turin reinforces our commitment to improving connectivity between Italy and our Helsinki hub. 2026 will be an extraordinary year for Finnair in Italy. With nine Italian airports served in the 2026 summer season, we want to offer travellers an even more accessible, comfortable and sustainable flying experience, with direct connections to Finland and beyond."
Published in Transportation
Less than an hour east of Florence, Tuscany’s Vallombrosa Reserve is made for enjoying a quiet day in symbiosis with trees and nature.
The Abbey was built in the 11th century
Vallombrosa is a protected natural reserve with a centuries-old monastery and is a fascinating trip into nature not too far from the city. The focal point is the Abbazia di Vallombrosa, founded in the 11th century. Unlike Florence’s richly decorated churches, Vallombrosa’s abbey is almost severe, its pale interiors designed for contemplation rather than display. Visiting it is less about admiring great works of art, and more about enjoying the silence and the sense of being removed from the world beyond.
A forest with beech and fir trees
What truly sets Vallombrosa apart, however, is the forest itself. The surrounding reserve is famous for its beech and fir trees which are majestic. Well-marked paths start directly behind the Abbey and lead into the trees for slow, immersive walks. In autumn, the forest becomes one of Tuscany’s most striking foliage displays with a rich range of colours, while in summer it offers delightful shade and cool temperatures.
Less than an hour from Florence
Getting there is simple, making Vallombrosa well suited to a full but unrushed day out. Trains run from Florence’s Santa Maria Novella station to nearby Sant’Ellero, followed by a short taxi ride or bus up to the abbey. By car the journey takes around 50 minutes, winding gently into the Apennine foothills, and once there, everything is walkable, encouraging visitors to slow down and enjoy nature.
An ideal day trip
The ideal is to arrive late morning, visit the abbey, and walk one of the forest loops before lunch at a local restaurant or a picnic in the forest. The afternoon can be spent wandering further into the reserve or simply relaxing before returning to Florence by early evening.
Published in On the road
ITA Airways returns to ITB Berlin for the fourth consecutive year and announces up to 47 weekly Germany-Italy flights this summer.
ITA’s Italian Piazza at the Berlin show
ITA is at the ITB in Berlin with a new exhibition space, the Italian Piazza, located on the Lufthansa Group stand where the international and local sales teams will welcome visitors and business partners during the exhibition. The idea behind the Italian Piazza set is to immediately bring to mind Italy’s identity abroad: a place for conviviality and sharing with stone paving and tables to chat at over a coffee, a bench and an Italian olive tree, an emblem of the Mediterranean’s climate and lifestyle.
47 weekly flights between Germany and Italy
Germany is a strategic market for ITA: the 2026 summer schedule includes up to 47 weekly flights between the two countries, with Frankfurt, Munich and Hamburg airports connected to the Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate hubs. From here, passengers travelling from Germany will have access to the airline's entire network, including major destinations in Italy and around the world. ITA Airways' summer schedule includes a total of 72 destinations, of which 19 are domestic, 36 international and 17 intercontinental, including 12 seasonal destinations (3 domestic and 9 international) to Italian, Greek and Spanish islands.
The first flight from Houston in Texas
With the start of summer 2026, flights from London Heathrow to Rome Fiumicino will also be restored, with two daily frequencies. From 1 May 2026 the new intercontinental flight from Houston is the first direct connection in history between the Texan city and Rome Fiumicino operated with three weekly flights, which will increase to five from June. Houston is ITA's ninth destination in the North American market, further expanded by the increase in weekly frequencies to Miami, which will rise from seven to nine, starting in June, in line with the current winter season's schedule. The summer package of new services also includes new direct flights to Rome Fiumicino from Malaga, Valencia and Marseille, and an increase of seven flights per week to Rome Fiumicino from Tunis between June and September. For summer 2026, seasonal connections will also include Olbia–Turin and Olbia–Genoa, operating in August, both with a weekly frequency on Saturdays.
ITA now has 106 Airbus aircraft in its fleet
The carrier's fleet, which consisted of 52 aircraft when it began operations in October 2021, now comprises 106 Airbus aircraft, 72% of which are new generation, with an average age of 6.3 years. The company aims to become the youngest carrier in Europe and to have almost its entire fleet made up of new generation aircraft by 2030, reducing fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. As an ambassador for Made in Italy, ITA Airways will also contribute to promoting Italian excellence, style and image at ITB 2026. The company's identity remains rooted in customer satisfaction through attention to detail, as well as a strong drive towards digitalization and sustainability in terms of the environment, society and governance.
Published in Transportation
“This is the most important trade fair for us, as Germany is the leading market for our country,” said ENIT’s CEO Ivana Jelinic today at the inauguration of the Italian pavilion at the ITB travel fair in Berlin.
Promoting Sicily, Calabria and Sardinia
"This is an opportunity to launch the programme for three Italian regions, Sicily, Calabria and Sardinia, after the difficulties that rose after Hurricane Harry. I would like to take this opportunity to say that the regions are perfectly ready to receive tourists. Of course, the support campaign will also target other countries, such as France, Spain and other nations.” 
The regions will focus on different markets
“It will be a top campaign for various regions of Italy, with a particular focus on these three,- said ENIT’s marketing director Marino Bonavolontà. -We have chosen a campaign that works where it is needed. These are regions that have a very strong impact on Italian tourism, and this applies to both Italian and international arrivals. For Calabria we will focus on Germany, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic and Poland. For Sardinia, the focus will be on Germany, Switzerland and France, while for Sicily, it will be on France, the United States and the United Kingdom.
The market and the regions
The market has been divided into domestic and international, and the project also targets second-tier markets, i.e. those that do not have huge inbound arrivals flows, such as Australia, Benelux and Austria. Giovanni Calabrese, Calabria’s regional councillor for tourism thanked the government for the programme ained at reviving tourism in a region that has been affected by the hurricane. “We are working hard to restore the affected areas, and we are already at a good stage”.
Sardinia’s beaches did not suffer storm damage
Franco Cuccureddu, Sardinia’s councillor for tourism spoke of the island's great potential. “After Hurricane Harry many news reports claimed that several beaches had been destroyed. This is not true. Cala Goloritze, which has been judged the most beautiful beach in the world, is perfect. As are the other Sardinian beaches. This campaign is very important precisely to reverse the perception on an international level."
Published in MICE & Events
To mark the Six Nations Championship, the InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace presents an exclusive Vespa tour and drink experience.
During the Six Nations Tournament
Combining Italian style, luxury hospitality and sporting passion: the new Vespa Tour & Drink Experience is designed for rugby fans and international visitors to the city during the Six Nations tournament. The offer is for an evocative Vespa tour of Rome's iconic landmarks and a refined moment of conviviality with themed drinks inspired by the world of sport, to be enjoyed at the Anita lounge bar in Via Veneto.
Sporting weekends become mini holidays
The experience celebrates the timeless elegance of the Italian lifestyle, combining urban discovery, creative mixology and an international sporting atmosphere, and is part of the international partnership that IHG Hotel & Resorts has signed with the Six Nations tournament. According to a study more and more fans are turning a sporting weekend into a mini holiday: 88% extend their stay and 72% say that their best memories are outside the stadium, discovering the area that hosts them.
Cultural activities and mixology specialties
To respond to this desire for authentic experiences, IHG Hotels & Resorts has launched the “Fancierge” service, a selection of local and cultural activities dedicated to Guinness Six Nations fans who can sign up for pre-match experiences in the host cities, tested by rugby legend Joe Marler, who has approved the Vespa tour through the streets of central Rome. And for mixology lovers, the drink created especially for the occasion is Front Rose, available in an alcoholic version, with a base of gin and vermouth, or a non-alcoholic version, with raspberry and lemon juice and egg white.
Published in On the road
Trenitalia is racing towards the future, investing €2 billion in 74 new trains by 2030.
The Frecciarossa as the “best train in Europe”
The investment is aimed at securing high-speed rail leadership and redrawing the boundaries of national mobility, and at the Masseria Winter Edition Forum Gianpiero Strisciuglio, CEO and general manager of Trenitalia confirmed a plan focusing entirely on capacity, technological innovation and an open challenge to international competition. The core of the operation is the expansion of the fleet: by 2030, 74 new Frecciarossa 1000 trains will be put into Italian and international service. This is not just a question of numbers, but a profound rebranding aimed at consolidating the Frecciarossa as the “best train in Europe”.
Looking at cross-border expansion
The stated objective is twofold: to increase frequency on the busiest routes and to support cross-border expansion, offering the train as a real structural alternative to medium-haul flights. “2026 continues the plan to upgrade Trenitalia's fleet, which has its successful product and brand in Frecciarossa,” explained Strisciuglio, emphasizing that the use of recyclable materials now exceeds 95% of the structure of the trains.
The Italian regional fleet the youngest on the continent
The renewal clearly cannot overlook local transport and by 2027 the Italian regional fleet will be the youngest on the continent, with an average train age of between five and ten years. To date over 80% of regional vehicles (more than 1,000 out of a total 1,300) are already of the latest generation. At the same time, the Intercity segment will see the introduction of over 30 new trains based on hybrid, electric and battery technologies, which are essential for ensuring efficiency and sustainability even on lines that are not yet fully electrified.
Boosting on-board services
There are also new developments for on-board services, with a focus on connection quality. Trenitalia has already successfully tested a proprietary 5G network on the Turin-Milan route, with excellent performance. However, the company is not ruling out alternative solutions to eliminate dead spots, including satellite technology. “We are obviously very attentive to the issue of on-board connectivity and are studying many solutions,” said the CEO on the possibility of using Starlink, adding that the goal remains to respond to “one of the aspects most requested by our customers.”
Increasing supply and improving track saturation
From an economic point of view, explains a company statement, this impressive introduction of new Frecciarossa 1000 trains responds to the need to increase supply and improve track saturation, supporting revenue growth with the same available infrastructure. In a liberalized market that has seen demand explode, the FS Group's strategy aims to strengthen the contribution of high-speed rail to overall profitability.
Published in Transportation
The northern Italian city chosen for Italy’s Capital of Culture 2027 may seem like a surprising choice.
Refined, unpretentious and creative
Why is it surprising? Well, to start Pordeonone is not a major Italian art city, being seen as more industrial, but don’t be deceived, it does have a strong cultural identity - which many overlook. Then it is relatively unknown internationally despite being refined and unpretentious and creative. Pordenone is a place with frescoed palazzi, literary festivals and Alpine horizons can be found within a few walkable streets. And it was chosen to spotlight a dynamic, lesser-known cultural ecosystem rather than one of Italy’s great cities that already have more tourism than they can handle.
Known as The Painted City
Pordenone’s historic centre has the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II with arcades and painted façades that have earned the city the nickname La Città Dipinta (The Painted City). The Gothic loggia of the Town Hall and the elegant Duomo of San Marco give this Friuli city a Venetian accent. Palazzo Ricchieri’s Civic Art Museum traces local creativity from the Middle Ages to modern times, while the former Convent of San Francesco hosts exhibitions and cultural events throughout the year.
Book and film festivals
The Pordenonelegge book festival turns the city into an open-air salon each September, drawing major Italian and international authors, and film lovers flock to Le Giornate del Cinema Muto, the world’s leading silent film festival, where restored masterpieces flicker back to life. In 2027 these events will expand into a wider programme of installations, performances and community projects designed to connect locals and visitors.
Walking, cycling and skiing
Nature is never far away. The Noncello riverbanks are ideal for relaxed walks and cycling, and just an hour away you are in the Parco Naturale Dolomiti Friulane, a UNESCO-listed wilderness of jagged limestone and pristine trails, or on the turquoise waters of Lake Barcis. Winter brings skiing to Piancavallo, while summer invites hiking, kayaking and relaxing at long lunches.
The delights of the table
Friuli’s cuisine favourites go from the Montasio DOP, the region’s iconic alpine cheese, to the sweet Prosciutto di San Daniele DOP, both to be paired with a glass of Friulano or Ribolla Gialla from the nearby Colli Pordenonesi. In 2027 Italy and the world will look to this corner of the Friuli region and discover compact, cultured and surprisingly cosmopolitan Pordenone.
For information: https://www.pordenoneturismo.com
Published in Cities & Regions
On Sunday 8 March at 4:00 pm, a magical musical afternoon awaits children and families in Cremona, the world capital of violin making.
Family-friendly routes and interactive activities
In the spectacular Auditorium Giovanni Arvedi inside the Museo del Violino violin museum the Ensemble of the Conservatorio Claudio Monteverdi will present a special concert. The event is designed to introduce young audiences to the enchanting world of music and violins, and reflects the museum’s strong commitment to younger generations. The Museo del Violino is not only a treasure house of extraordinary violins made by Stradivari, Guarneri and Amati, it is also an educational space where children can discover all about violins and dedicated family-friendly routes and interactive activities make every visit engaging and inspiring.
Children will join the performance
Conducted by Giuseppe Caffi, the Ensemble will open the concert with a musical fairy tale: Puss in Boots, with music by Caffi himself. The second part of the program features the joyful Toy Symphony, traditionally attributed to Leopold Mozart. Childhood instruments such as tambourines, rattles, triangles and small percussion will be distributed to the young audience members, who will actively join the performance, transforming the concert into a shared celebration of sound.
Additional performances on 12 April and 10 May
Lasting approximately 40 minutes, the concert is a perfect introduction to live classical music for families. Tickets are priced at €6 and can be purchased at the Museum or online via Vivaticket. Additional performances are scheduled for 12 April and 10 May.
Published in Experiences & Tips
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