Marco Giovidelli is the new group head of MICE sales for Italian Hospitality Collection. 

An expert of the MICE sector with 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry and in-depth knowledge of the mice sector, Giovidelli held the position of associate director of sales at Egnazia Ospitalità Italiana and, before that, was cluster senior sales manager at Melià Hotels.

Promoting the business and incentive segments

In his role at Italian Hospitality Collection Giovidelli will be responsible for boosting the Italian and international meetings industry market and promoting the Group's properties to the business and incentive segments. "We are confident that Marco Giovidelli’s leadership and background will contribute significantly to boosting our presence in the MICE segment,” says Ksenia Muzykantova, Italian Hospitality Collection’s group director of sales and marketing. 

The Best Western Hotel Fiera Verona is the new Bwh Italia property in Verona. 

82 keys, meeting rooms and a fitness area

Located near the Verona Sud motorway exit and 15 minutes from the Valerio Catullo airport, the hotel has 82 keys and the Et Voilà restaurant, which is open for dinner for hotel guests and available for banqueting services for conferences and events. There are also four meeting rooms for events of up to 50 guests. Completing the range of services there is a fitness area with Technogym machines and free parking for cars and buses.

Hotel Fiera Verona, ©Ph. Marco Simonini

“We see potential both as a business and a leisure hotel” 

"For many years we have experienced the professionalism and concrete support of Bwh Hotels Italia for our hotel in Ferrara," says owner Carlo Fabbri. "For the Best Western Hotel Fiera Verona we see considerable potential both as a business hotel, and for leisure customers attracted by Verona and its surrounding area.”

The Swadeshi Hotels Group has entered a partnership with Secret World, the British operator specialized in the creation of a global digital travel guide. 

A network of leading transport and hospitality companies

This partnership will allow the Italian company to be included in Secret World's Greatest Business Operations programme. This network includes companies such as Avis-Maggiore-Budget, Vistara Airline and Singapore Airlines, and with the Russotti Group's Marriott Hotels branded hotels in Rome, Milan and Venice.

“We have a commitment to meeting travellers' needs”

UK-based Secret World provides in-depth information on more than 120 countries, with content available in over 70 languages. The guide takes travellers to culturally-rich, lesser-known places, covering aspects ranging from history to gastronomy and folklore to art. "Joining Secret World's Great Operators Business Programme is a recognition of our quality and commitment to meeting travellers' needs,- says Swadeshi's commercial director, Denisa Doru. -We are excited about this partnership with the Swadeshi Hotels Group which will further enhance our guests' travel experience and mark another step in our development.” 

The Liguria region and the Cinque Terre are taking steps to streamline tourist flows with talks that encompassed benefits for seasonal workers not residing in Liguria, evaluating night-time slots, and considering specific qualified tourist categories. They also delved into the social impact of the fare adjustment shared with Trenitalia which includes providing free monthly and annual passes and also discounts to students.

A better distribution of tourists throughout the year

Giovanni Toti, president of the Liguria region, commented on the Cinque Terre Express fare change, stating, “We have outlined in detail the reasons and objectives of the fare change. With an almost 11% increase, La Spezia is the Ligurian province that experienced the highest growth in tourism in 2023. The measure aims to enhance this positive trend, increase tertiary services, and consolidate the GDP. There will be tangible benefits for both tourists and citizens due to the better distribution of tourist flows throughout the year.”

Boosting tourism by managing and rationalising flows

“The goal of this initiative is to boost tourism by managing and rationalising flows during days of overtourism. The new rates are set to be adopted on an experimental basis, and trade associations will participate in the monitoring table with local authorities to assess the effects,” Toti added.

We have time to fine-tune the service

 “This is a measure to protect tourism and the territory. However, there is room to review some aspects of the new fares,- said Augusto Sartori, regional councillor for tourism.  -I understand the concerns of traders, especially regarding tourists staying for a few days in the Cinque Terre, or the need to encourage nighttime train usage. We have time to assess requests and fine-tune the service thanks to the monitoring table provided by the Region.”

Benevento, situated more than sixty kilometers away from Naples in the heart of the Campania region, has thrived for many millennia. 

The best access is to Benevento with high-speed trains

Interestingly, in contemporary times, Benevento is more easily accessible from various Italian regions by taking high-speed trains rather than planes or motorways. Exploring the intricate tapestry of material complexity that encompasses its alleyways, courtyards, stairways, arches, tombstones, Roman memorial stones, and Baroque buildings, one could begin the journey by visiting the Sannio Museum. This museum chronicles the historical events of the region, but we suggest it is more illuminating to immerse oneself first in the city and then explore its museum.

The Caffè Strega is the city’s most famous bar

Corso Garibaldi is a sizable and well-frequented urban thoroughfare. Known for its shops, the Church of Santa Sofia  is positioned in the middle, the Rocca dei Rettori fortress at one end, and the Arco of Traiano arch on a short side street. Also worth stopping for is the Caffè Strega bar. This establishment, adorned with designer posters featuring scantily clad ladies (perhaps witches?), is the ideal setting for chilling or even studying, given Benevento's significance as a university town. The café is also notable for its selection of bottles of Strega, which is the city's symbolic liqueur.

A visit that will leave lasting memories

But there is still more to explore, such as the Duomo itself and the city is steeped in legend, including one that attributes its founding to Diomedes, a wandering Greek veteran of the Trojan War. A city well worth a visit and sure to leave lasting memories.

The 13 suites will be in buildings around the lake

The new Albergo Diffuso Granducato di Bracciano, in the Lazio town overlooking Lake Bracciano to open in Spring. The complex, by Eurotime Horeca, a division of the Eurotime Group, will be built in a series of buildings around the edge of the lake and will include 13 suites, a boutique resort with a swimming pool, a spa and beauty centre. There will also be a traditional trattoria and a gourmet restaurant, as well as a wine bar with a bistro and a champagne and DJ bar.

Half an hour from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport 

"Our aim is to offer guests an authentic and immersive experience of the life and history of Bracciano. All this without sacrificing the comforts of a luxury hotel," says Eurotime Italy director Massimo Scialò. The Granducato di Bracciano is located about thirty minutes from Fiumicino airport and 25 minutes by train from Rome.

The plans and ambitions of GM Fulvio Gaglione’s for the 5-star Ara Maris in Sorrento.

“An extraordinary journey exceeding guests’ expectations”

A few months before the inauguration of the new five-star hotel in Sorrento, general manager Fulvio Gaglione reveals the expectations and ambitions of the Campania-based hotel affiliated with Preferred Hotels & Resorts: "We are planning an experience for guests that will transport their senses on an extraordinary journey, exceeding their expectations. We are not content to be just another luxury property in the city, we are building strategic partnerships to make the Ara Maris emerge as a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. We want to create an environment that captures the essence of the coast: the sea view and local flavours. It will be an experience that will engage all the senses."

The Ara Maris is adopting eco-friendly measures

The hotel is also preparing customized experiences for its guests: "We are organizing excursions in the area and designing tailor-made activities." Sustainability is another priority: " We are adopting eco-friendly measures, such as the use of solar panels and zero-kilometre products, and we are involving the local community.” 

News on the horizon for Club del Sole, with the Sole 24 Ore newspaper hinting at a new financial partner. 

Negotiations are thought to be moving ahead

It is thought that negotiations currently involve the open-air operator founded in 1974 by the entrepreneur Giancarlo Giondi and the Peninsula Capital fund, which has just entered the Italian cosmetics company Veralab, the French Montefiore Investment and The Equity Club, which invests on behalf of wealthy Mediobanca clients. The offers, it is believed, are on the table of Rothschild and Euromobiliare.

Club del Sole has four new properties in the pipeline

Under the control of the Giondi family, Club del Sole already has a financial partner, Nb Aurora, which acquired 40%  of the open-air operator in 2018, but which is tightlipped regarding the current situation.  Headquartered in Forlì, the company closed last summer with a €100 million turnover (+16% on 2022) and gross operating margins of some €30 million. The twenty Club del Sole campsites are in seven different regions and include nine owned complexes, while the others are operated through long-term leases, and four new properties are in the pipeline for 2024-2025.