Le Dune Resort, in the beautiful Sicilian resort of Porto Palo di Menfi, has reopened, marking its official entry into the BWH network as a Signature Collection by Best Western.  

A privileged position in a seaside village

Le Dune Resort, BW Signature Collection is an elegant 4-star seafront hotel, located in Porto Palo di Menfi, an enchanting seaside village on the south-western coast of Sicily. With its golden beaches, crystal-clear sea and authentic atmosphere it is one of the most popular seaside resorts in the region. The hotel has 52 rooms, from Standard Rooms that are comfortable and ideal for a relaxing stay to Junior Suites which are spacious and perfect for families or groups of friends. Thanks to its privileged location and exclusive services the hotel is the ideal choice for spending relaxing moments immersed in the beauty of Sicily.

“Bringing our vision of hospitality also to Sicily”

"We are pleased to consolidate our collaboration with BWH Hotels Italia & Malta with the entry of Le Dune Resort into the Signature Collection by Best Western brand. After the affiliation of the Hotel Centrale in Tirano, we enthusiastically entrust a second structure to BWH, bringing our vision of hospitality also to Sicily. With the summer season just around the corner, we are ready to welcome travellers with exclusive services and an authentic atmosphere that enhances the charm of the destination," said Andrea Sangiani, owner of the Saint Jane Hotels & Suites Group.

There are 11 BHW hotels in Sicily

Fabrizio Doria, chief development officer of BWH Hotels Italia & Malta, also welcomed the news. "The entry of Le Dune Resort into our network further strengthens our collaboration with the Saint Jane Group, confirming our trust in the brand. With this new property we reach a total of 11 hotels in Sicily. Signature Collection by Best Western is a brand that enhances the identity of each hotel and Le Dune Resort perfectly embodies this philosophy, offering an authentic and quality stay in one of the most fascinating locations in the region. We are proud to continue this journey together and to contribute to the enhancement of Porto Palo di Menfi as a destination of excellence.”

Wellness and fun facilities for adults and children

Le Dune Resort offers a wide range of services designed to guarantee comfort and relaxation to its guests. The restaurant offers refined cuisine that enhances local flavours, for wellness and fun there is a large swimming pool for adults and one for children, as well as Jacuzzis. The children's area has games and a mini club while the private beach is easily accessible. Guests can also take advantage of spaces designed for leisure time, such as the bar, solarium and fitness area, while those who want outdoor sports activities can try their hand at beach volleyball. The hotel also has an indoor and outdoor car park, and for those seeking an even more exclusive service, a massage area for a total wellness experience and an airport shuttle service for easy travel are available on request.

The municipality of Abano Terme, in the province of Padua, is boosting its cultural and hot springs heritage through an integrated tourism strategy.

A promotional and marketing website 

The aim is to offer an increasingly experiential, rejuvenating and sustainable experience, and at the heart of the strategy is the work is a consortium of local companies which is responsible for managing the promotional and marketing website for the destination. The portal, integrated with the official destination website, serves as a booking platform for accommodation facilities and local tourist experiences, promoting a range of themed offerings from green tourism to wellness, and from cycling to culture.

AbanoPadova CVBureau

Launch of the Discover Abano tours

The Discover Abano project,  launched in April is a series of guided tours in Italian and German designed to tell the story of the city, its thermal heritage and its urban cultural heritage. The tours include stops at the thermal pools and meetings with local businesses and take place every Thursday until mid-June, resuming in September.  Cultural activities include temporary exhibitions, with the “Women Power” has already attracting some 3,000 visitors in a month. Abano has an efficient IAT office, open 365 days a year, which not only provides valuable information to tourists, but also promotes and markets the tourist experiences offered by local operators, including those in the hospitality sector.

AbanoPadova CVBureau

Activation of an accommodation intelligence platform 

All accommodation facilities equipped with management software can now access the platform provided by Hbenchmark and offered free of charge thanks to the synergy with the Padua Chamber of Commerce: an advanced accommodation intelligence analysis tool that enables tourism planning based on predictive and historical data The Municipality of Abano thus confirms its vision: to build an intergenerational, sustainable and authentic tourist destination, capable of integrating tradition and innovation to attract contemporary travellers. For information: www.experienceabanomontegrotto.com.

ITA Airways has signed a codeshare agreement with United Airlines, which will increase connectivity between Italy and the US.

Tickets are already on sale 

The agreement is part of the carrier's strategy to grow its long-haul connections and the number of intercontinental destinations that can be reached from its Rome Fiumicino hub. The aim being to seize the opportunities offered by growing markets, and meet the demand of an increasingly international clientele

“Consolidating our presence in the US market”

"The codeshare agreement with United Airlines represents a significant step in our network expansion strategy towards new intercontinental destinations,- said Joerg Eberhart, CEO and General Manager ITA Airways. -Thanks to this partnership we are consolidating our presence in the US market - the second most important after the domestic market – allowing passengers to reach further destinations in the US through the connections offered by our new partner, United Airlines. And we will be happy to carry American passengers to Italian and international destinations on our flights to and from Rome Fiumicino.” 

Greater connectivity and a smoother travel experience 

This step is part of a broader path of growth in international markets, which will culminate with ITA's entry into Star Alliance, scheduled for 2026, following its integration into the Lufthansa Group." United has been serving Italy for more than 33 years, and today operates direct flights to Rome, Milan, Naples, Venice and Palermo from the United States,- said Patrick Quayle, SVP global network planning and alliances United Airlines. -Ita Airways and United share a commitment to offer our customers more choices, more destinations and more opportunities to explore - and with this new loyalty and codeshare partnership, they will benefit from even greater connectivity and a smoother travel experience.

Connecting flights throughout Italy and Europe

Passengers will be able to earn and redeem points in their respective frequent flyer programmes, Volare and MileagePlus, and will also be able to access lounges depending on their tier. United Airlines passengers will further see their travel opportunities amplified not only in Italy- where they will be able to take advantage of connecting flights to visit cities like Bari, Bologna, Florence, Catania and Turin, to name only a few - but also in Europe and beyond including, for example, Athens, Amsterdam, Malta and Munich.

Rome’s Fiumicino airport is projected to exceed 50 million passengers as Aeroporti di Roma aims for another positive year.

“A peak of 180,000 passengers a day”

The aim is to set another record year for Fiumicino “surpassing 50 million passengers with a peak of 180,000 passengers a day,” said Marco Troncone, CEO of ADR in an interview with the Adnkronos news agency. The CEO went on to emphasize that “the growth is not only quantitative but also qualitative with long-haul and intercontinental flows growing”. In particular, ‘traffic to and from North America is up 40% over 2019 and now accounts for around 10% of Fiumicino's total traffic’. Positive signs are also expected from Asia.

Sustainability is a key focus

There is a great focus on sustainability: Troncone explains that ADR aims to bring the infrastructure to zero emissions within the next 3-4 years and has inaugurated the largest photovoltaic park in an airport in Europe. On zero-emission flight operations “the road is a bit longer, the answer today is SAF, we will meet the first milestones and in 2025 at least 2% of fuel must be sustainable and we will exceed this target at Fiumicino.”

“Over 2,000 permanent jobs in the last 10 years”

Another theme is innovation: “Our focus is above all on the sustainable and high value-added introduction of artificial intelligence for operational efficiency, for safety, for new services to our passengers and for automation”. Marco Troncone also pointed out that at ADR “in the last two years alone, more than a third of our permanent employees have been under 30, and we have created over 2,000 permanent jobs in the last 10 years.”

Qantas is boosting connections between Australia and Rome with almost double capacity in 2026.

An extra 8 weeks of Perth-Rome flights

This extension of seasonal operations come with the addition of an extra weekly frequency, which will almost double the airline’s capacity by 2026. The route from Australia to Italy - operated exclusively by the Australian carrier - will therefore operate for an extra eight weeks. Traditionally operating from mid-June to the beginning of October, the connections will now be available from 3 May until 22 October, covering the period that marks the transition from autumn to Australian spring.

Over 70,000 passengers since June 2022

The extension will be accompanied by an increase in weekly frequencies, which will increase from three to four, from 28 June to 27 September 2026, with the introduction of a flight that departs on Sundays, for a total of more than 40 additional flights and 10,000 extra seats between Italy and Australia. To date, since the route opened in June 2022, Qantas has carried more than 70,000 passengers between the two countries. The route is operated with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, configured with 236 seats in Business, Premium Economy and Economy cabins.

Exploring Perth and Western Australia

“With more non-stop flights and a longer operating season, it has never been easier for Italians to travel from and to Australia,- says Cam Wallace, CEO Qantas International. - Once in Perth, customers can explore the sights and attractions of Western Australia or continue seamlessly to other destinations thanks to our extensive network of domestic flights." "The extension of the operating season and the increased frequency of Qantas' non-stop flights between Perth and Rome confirm the success of this iconic connection and the strong attractiveness of Fiumicino as a gateway to Italy and the rest of Europe - adds Ivan Bassato, chief aviation officer of Aeroporti di Roma. -We would like to thank Qantas for the trust placed in our airport and for the constant cooperation, which allows us to further strengthen the direct bridge with Australia, to the benefit of long-haul connectivity, tourism and cultural and economic exchanges."