Italy’s airports have returned to pre-Covid levels thanks to international traffic. 

Over 219 million passengers in 2024

According to Assaeroporti, for the year just ended, traffic recorded on international routes brought helped the double-digit growth for the Italian airport system with more than 219 million passengers passing through Italy's airports, 11.1% more than in 2023 . Of these, 146 million flew on international routes, which means that with one third of travellers were on the domestic segment and two thirds on the international segment. 

Record numbers of aircraft movements

Aircraft movements, in the year just ended, marked a full recovery in volumes: with a growth of 7.5% compared to 2023, reaching 1.7 million units and exceeding for the first time the levels recorded in 2019 before the pandemic.

Rome’s Fiumicino is the top Italian airport

The ranking of the top 10 airports by traffic reaffirms the supremacy of Rome Fiumicino with 49.2 million passengers, followed by Milan Malpensa with 28.9 million and Milan Bergamo with 17.3 million. They are followed by Naples, Catania and Venice with 12 million and Bologna and Milan Linate with 10 million. Closing the top ten are the airports of Palermo and Bari. Analyzing the data by airport size class, it emerges that in 2024 all airports contributed to the growth of the national airport system, with percentages of increase varying between 5.7% (in the 1-5 million passenger class) and 16.5% (for airports with less than 1 million passengers).

Volotea is putting on more flights to Verona from Paria and Barcelona, bringing Paris Orly and the Catalan city closer to the city of Romeo and Juliet.

Volotea flies to 14 destinations from Verona 

Starting in April flights from Paris Orly to Verona will become daily, while those from Barcelona will increase to five days a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. This boost in flights supports international inbound traffic to the Verona area and, at the same time, offers new travel opportunities for Veronese travellers. From Verona’s Catullo Airport, with two based aircraft, Volotea will fly this year to 14 destinations in five countries: Italy, Spain, Greece, France and Germany.

“Our Verona base employes 90 people”

In 2024 Volotea recorded a significant increase in both passengers carried and operations: 700,000 passengers, an increase of 18% over the 593,000 of the previous year, and 4,283 flights operated, up 21% over 2023. The Verona base, active since 2015, now employs more than 90 people.

“Verona is a base of fundamental importance for Volotea, not only operationally but also strategically,- said Valeria Rebasti, the carrier’s international market director.  -The increase in frequencies from Paris Orly and Barcelona is a concrete sign of our commitment to offer passengers even better connectivity.” 

 

“In 2024 Volotea operated 20% of Catullo’s traffic” 

“With the increase in weekly frequencies on the key markets of Paris Orly and Barcelona, Volotea strengthens its link with the Verona area, adapting its offer to the needs of travellers,- said  Camillo Bozzolo, aviation development director Save Group. -In 2024 Volotea operated some 20% of the total traffic at Catullo, an increase of 18% over the previous year.

Down the years Volotea has supported the cultural development of the Verona area through targeted initiatives, such as the Volotea4Veneto project, which financed the restoration of over 30 terracotta sketches from the Gypsotheca Museo Antonio Canova in Possagno. In 2024 Volotea also consolidated its ties with the city by becoming the official sponsor of the Camploy Theatre for the 2024/2025 season.

If you thought hotels were just for sleep, think again. The hotel industry is embracing a transformation and Hotiday, the pioneering hospitality travel-tech company, says the future is already here with us, and it’s techy, connected, and possibly smarter than you.  

Hotiday identifies the four top trends in travel accommodations as: technology that reduces the stress of planning trips, AI usage, social media presence, and connected experiences. 

So expect digital concierges and chatbots that do the thinking for you, instant AI itineraries and bookings, and hotels that snap selfies with stylish content and heartfelt reviews. 

But today’s savvy travellers also want connected experiences, with smooth sailing from booking to checkout and hotels that deliver to their every need - from personalized offers, to making them feel one-of-a-kind, to those smart pillows with built-in technology to track and personalize their sleep patterns.

Pamela McCourt Francescone
Executive Editor

It was a record-breaking 2024 for Venice Marco Polo airport, which with 11.6 million passengers hit a historic milestone.

Lower than the national average for Italian airports

This was the first year the airport surpassed the pre-pandemic levels of 2019, when 11.56 million travellers were counted. However, the growth of +2.7 per cent over 2023 remains lower than the national average for Italian airports, which are experiencing accelerated expansion. This reflects a sustainable development strategy, as pointed out by Enrico Marchi, president of the Save group, the company that manages the Veneto airport. 

“We are not interested in drugged growth”

The aim is measured development that ensures a positive passenger experience and infrastructure that matches demand. “We are not interested in drugged growth,- said Marchi, - what we are aiming at is long-term sustainable expansion focused on service quality.” A philosophy that is also reflected in the recent infrastructure implementations, aimed at optimizing passenger flows without compromising operational efficiency.

Marco Polo’s traffic is 21% intercontinental 

Marco Polo's strong point is its intercontinental vocation, which accounts for 21% of total traffic. In 2024, the airport saw a significant increase in traffic to North America, with over one million passengers and a growth of +9% over 2023.Transatlantic routes are covered by Delta Air Lines, to New York JFK and Atlanta, United Airlines to New York Newark, joined this year by the new route to Washington D.C.; American Airlines with its flight to Chicago, this summer adds the first direct connection to Dallas-Fort Worth.

Far East traffic is also growing

Traffic to the Far East is also growing, with +36% and over 300,000 passengers in the first ten months of 2024. A result driven by the Venice-Shanghai Pudong connection operated by China Eastern and the summer operations of Asiana Airlines on Seoul Incheon. A plus sign also for connections to the Middle East: Qatar Airways has returned to fly to Venice with a daily connection to Doha, flanking Emirates' daily flight to Dubai.

Tucked away in the heart of Rome, the Palazzo Colonna stands as a magnificent symbol of the city's rich aristocratic heritage and of the Colonna family’s legacy.

Stepping into a world of opulence and tradition

For over eight centuries this lavish palace has been the home of the Colonna family, one of Rome’s most illustrious noble houses. A masterpiece of history and art, the Palazzo offers visitors a rare opportunity to step into a world of opulence and tradition. Walking through the grand halls of the Palazzo, visitors are transported back in time, surrounded by an extraordinary private collection of art. Works by renowned artists such as Annibale Carracci, Pietro da Cortona, and Paolo Veronese grace the walls, each piece not only a work of art but a testament to the family's deep ties to Italy’s artistic and cultural history.

The Great Hall is an architectural masterpiece 

The real jewel of the Palazzo is the Galleria Colonna, a breathtaking Baroque gallery, and the Great Hall, in particular, is a highlight of this architectural masterpiece, with its lavish decorations and grandiose atmosphere that encapsulate the magnificence of the era. But what makes this space even more remarkable is its hidden historical treasure - a cannonball lodged in the steps. Fired during the French siege of Rome in 1849, this cannonball serves as a poignant reminder of the city’s tumultuous past.

One of Rome’s grandest palaces

A visit to Palazzo Colonna is a rare and exclusive experience. The palace is open to the public only on Saturday mornings, from 09:00 to 13:15, making it a sought-after destination for art lovers, history buffs, and anyone looking to uncover one of Rome’s lesser-known but most spectacular treasures. The Palazzo offers a unique opportunity to step into the world of Roman nobility and experience the grandeur of one of the city’s most celebrated palaces which encapsulates centuries of history, art, and aristocratic elegance, and visitors can immerse themselves in a world of artistic splendor and historical intrigue, all preserved within the walls of one of Rome’s grandest palaces.  For information: www.galleriacolonna.it 

   

South Tyrol’s Bad Moos Aqua Spa Resort offers a range of sulphur and sauna wellness services.

Festive days for wellness stays

March 2025 marks the end of the winter season at the Bad Moos Aqua Spa Resort at Sesto, in Val Fiscalina in Italy’s South Tyrol region. It is an ideal month for holidays as a couple, a  family or with friends as there are a lot of festive days coming up. For example 4 March is both Shrove Tuesday and the end of the carnival celebrations and 8 March is Women's Day. Dads are celebrated on 19 March, while on Saturday 22 March the Südtirol Helmissimo 3 Zinnen Dolomites, the longest giant slalom in the Puster Valley, takes place on Mount Elmo. 

© Hannes Niederkofler

A raft of special offers with discounts

Whichever date you choose look out for Bad Moos offers that allow savings on the total cost of a stay. For those who have only a few days available there is the Short Stay formula that allows a 10% discount on the standard rate for a minimum stay of 3 nights. The Mid-Week offer is valid for stays of 3 to 5 nights, with check-in on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday, and a guaranteed 15% discount. For longer stays there is the Discover Bad Moos Long Stay formula, with a minimum stay of four nights and a 12% discount on standard rates. The services included in holidays at the Bad Moos Aqua Spa Resort go from the breakfast buffet to the gourmet dinner, and from the welcome cocktail to the afternoon snack with hot dish and finger food. There is also free access to the Soma & Anima Spa wihich has a sauna area, indoor and outdoor swimming pool, Kneipp path and large fitness area. 

© Hannes Niederkofler

From the sauna to sulphur treatments

One of the most popular experiences for guests in March is the sauna, with relaxing sessions in the dry heat of a Finnish sauna or in the moist steam of a Turkish bath, and then there are the essential oil steam jets, detox scrubs and immersions in the cold-water pool. And what better than an invigorating walk in the snow, stepping out from the sauna area to walk to the nearby St Valentine's Church in a snowy landscape.  Famous for its sulphate spring the Bad Moos Aqua Spa Resort offers a specific line of treatments that make the most of the properties of sulphur, from facials to leg treatments and detox baths.