Sicily ranked sixth among the most beautiful islands in the world, in the annual ranking of the World's Best Award by Travel + Leisure, finishing behind the top two islands in Greece, Milos and Folegandros, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Lesser Antilles, Madeira in Portugal and the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. This is a particularly significant result because to draw up the ranking readers are asked to rate their travel experience, taking into account a series of factors from hospitality, to the sea, food, culture and places to visit.

In the top ten for the second consecutive year

Alberto Sarmonà, Regional Councillor for Cultural Heritage and Sicilian Identity, commented on the ranking: "This is an important recognition, above all for the fact that our island was included in the prestigious top-ten for the second consecutive year, climbing three positions compared to 2020 when it finished in ninth place. At last the world is realising how special Sicily is for its nature, landscapes and cultural beauties. This is what we have to offer visitors and the regional government is working tirelessly, focusing on our unique beauty to build our future.”  

But what is it about Sicily that won over the readers of Travel + Leisure? What gives the region the edge is above all its immense cultural heritage. “We have ancient Greek and Roman sites and museums, wonderful friendly people, and the best food you will ever taste” and  "The coastal cities are as beautiful as any you can imagine," are just two of the comments that were made by Travel + Leisure readers.

Sicily is indeed a true treasure trove of stunning attractions from the Gulf of Patti to Mondello Beach, from the Valley of the Temples to the Scala dei Turchi, from Modica to Taormina, from the Gulf of Aci Trezza to Mount Etna, and we could go on…..    

Italy has had a much better summer than last year, driven by the performance of seaside and leisure destinations and thanks to an unprecedented domestic demand.  Hotels too are showing signs of life again with a higher occupancy than they recorded in 2020. But the summer cannot cancel the difficulties of an industry facing an emergency that has not yet been fully resolved. If, on the one hand, tourism showed its resilience, on the other there are serious critical issues that cannot be ignored. One such is business travel which remains flat despite some recent timid signs of recovery, while visitors to the art cities are growing although levels are still a very far cry from those of the pre-Covid era.

The lockdowns have led to a lack of qualified resources for the hotel industry

However it is not just the fluctuations in demand that are worrying Italian hoteliers as the long lockdowns have also generated a widespread lack of qualified resources. According to Fipe-Confcommercio, the Italian bar, restaurant and catering federation, during the peak season hotels and restaurants had to manage with a hundred thousand fewer workers. In fact many staff moved on to other job, even taking less remunerative offers that are perceived as safer and more reliable.  

50% of tourism in Italy depends on business travel which is substantially absent

“The V-curve of the recovery recorded in July and especially in August was mainly driven by domestic flows and some European arrivals, but it cannot and must not mislead us,” said Giovanna Manzi, CEO  Bwh Hotel Group Italy. “A good 50 percent of tourism in Italy depends on business travel, which at the moment is substantially absent. Corporate travel is also vital for the so-called Big Four, Rome, Milan, Florence and Venice, which account for almost 40 percent of Italy’s tourism turnover. So there is little to celebrate, even if the summer went well overall, but we had a difficult spring and the prospects for the autumn remain uncertain.” In July Bwh Hotel Group Italy’s turnover was 39 percent lower than in 2019, while August approached pre-Covid levels (-13%). During the first eight months of the year the company's turnover remained 60% lower than in the same period pre-Covid.

The Green Pass, a useful tool we hope will be extended

For Luca Boocato, CEO of Hnh Hospitality, the glass is a little more than half full. "Given the circumstances I would say that this summer was decidedly positive: especially for seaside destinations that fared better than expected as did secondary locations like Verona and Trieste. But yes, the main destinations such as Rome and Milan did suffer, and while Venice pulled up slightly it is far removed from 2019 levels.” Another challenge for Hnh Hospitality over the last 18 months has been the constantly changing regulatory context added Boccato. Hnh Hospitality’s seaside properties exceeded the 2019 season by 18.5 percent.  The art cities of Rome, Trieste, Verona and Venice also posted good results while business hotels in Mestre, Verona, San Giovanni Lupatoto, Bologna and Padua did not fare so well due to the contraction in business and MICE demand. "The Green pass has proved to be a useful and effective tool and we hope it will be extended as necessary."

Events, conferences and congresses are set for recovery thanks to the Green Pass and to a decree regulating social distancing. "It’s great that the regional conference approved the changes we requested to guidelines for overcoming social distancing constraints in conference and congress halls,” said Maria Carmela Colaiacovo, President of the Italian Confindustria Alberghi Association

“We hope the minister will sign the decree as soon as possible”

This is another important step forward for the normalization of the hotel sector with a return to a full range of services for meetings and conferences. "Now we hope Minister Speranza will sign the decree as soon as possible, implementing the guidelines and allowing us to return to that sense of normality our companies require,” said Colaiacovo  

This summer the Emilia Romagna region attracted chiefly French, German, Dutch and Swiss visitors, and every year from September its appeal are the many events and festivals focussing on its famous foods and wines like the Gastronomic September in Parma and the Wine Festival in the Piacentino region. There is something too for music lovers with the annual Verdi Festival which always draws international visitors.

It is a central festival for us, this is 100% the land of Giuseppe Verdi.  In one weekend you can see four operas in Parma and Busseto - said Cristiano Casa, Parma’s Councillor for Tourism. 

Emilia is a land just waiting to discovered, and it is wonderfully authentic. This is the land of food par excellence with products like Parma ham, Parmesan cheese, Culatello di Zibello, Salame Felino, Balsamic Vinegar, Piacenza’s cured meats and excellent wines.

We also have our three great art cities, and this year Parma is the Italian Capital of Culture. Our theatre season opens in early December with the Regio in Parma, the Municipale in Piacenza and the Valli in Reggio Emilia as well as in the many boutique theaters around the provinces. 

“At the World Travel Market the focus will be on food and castles”

 
At the World Travel Market we will be focussing on two elements: food and castles. We have 50 castles; they can all be visited, and there are excellent services and stunning landscapes around them.  Then we have trails like the Via Francigena and outdoors activities in the Apennines mountain range and along the Po river. In 2022 we will present the region as a place of “slow mix” made for unhurried holidays. We’ll promote this at trade fairs and through the Internet which we have found gives an excellent return.  The region is also very well linked with excellent high speed, Intercity and regional trains. By car we are on the main north-south motorway axis, and we are equidistant from Bologna and Linate Airports

Scalapay,  the “buy now, pay later” payment system,  has announced a new strategic partnership with Hoteldoor for the management of sales and guest relations. Businesses entering the platform, which is already used by over 500 Italian hotels, will now have access to the services of Scalapay.

An exceptional performance marketing tool for hotels 

"We are thrilled that Hoteldoor has integrated Scalapay into its services,” said Scalapay’s Travel Director Matteo Ciccalé. “This summer showed that our system is not only useful to the consumer, it is also an exceptional performance marketing tool for hotels. Now they have a new channel with rapidly growing numbers of members and consensus in Europe. Businesses that have already chosen Hoteldoor will now have an additional tool with which to build loyalty and reach out to new customers.”  

Making it easier to turn quotes into reservations

“With Scalapay it will be easier to turn quotes into reservations,” added Hoteldoor’s CEO & Product Owner Andrea Borghetti. “We estimate that the conversion rate could increase, with considerable advantages for leisure type properties.”

Over 1,000 travel agencies have registered with the Flypoint portal in just a few months and are now working with this MultiGds online booking tool, a complete system that uses innovative technology to simplify flight sales.

A multi-GDS for cruises backed by specialized booking staff  

“And now it is doubling,” said Primarete’s President and Cruisepoint’s patron, Ivano Zilio. “This platform is a robot that gives agencies an immediate response in real time, rooting through thousands of prices without using the various cruise booking sites. With just a click it provides the best solution and offer. Cruisepoint.it is a multi-GDS for cruises where agencies can option or confirm a cruise, and make the payment either by card or by bank transfer online. It is important to remember that behind all this there is highly professional booking staff who are specialized in cruising.

We have set up an Italian sales network with commercial and web vision. It is a something new, and others will follow shortly. Despite the pandemic we have set up an Italian sales network with commercial and web vision, thus not disappointing those who passed us the testimonial from the tour operator Columbus. With the pandemic the era of change in our industry has accelerated and this is why the Primarete Group decided to sell its shareholdings in Travelbuy and Pinguino Network to invest in other distribution projects that we will soon put on the Italian and other markets. 

"Organized tourism companies are facing this 2021 with great difficulty, as much as it has happened for 2020. For this reason, requesting the Minister Garavaglia to extend the refreshments for travel agencies and tour operators, postponing the restart will not be possible".

Thus Gianni Rebecchi, national president of Assoviaggi, the association that travel agencies and organized tourism companies Confesercenti.

"Immediate interventions are needed - continues the president - from the urgent extension of the social safety nets - introduced by the previous government to deal with the health emergency - at least until June 2022, together with renewed tax credits for companies in the sector to avoid new closures and layoffs ".

Five travel ideas, five ways to discover the landscapes, art and cuisine of Italy’s Maremma region. These itineraries of taste in the Grosseto area are from the Artex Artour Toscana Project and are aimed at travellers (and Tuscans) who want to get to know this region. 

Five itineraries showcasing art, food and wines

The routes are removed from mass circuits and promote slow, conscious, sustainable cultural tourism, showcasing the area’s artistic and monumental heritage and its excellent food and wines. The five itineraries on the Artour Toscana website (http://toscana.artour.it) start with a presentation, followed by a description of the companies offering typical products and a geo-localized map of the route and places of interest.

Ancient traditions and a beautiful countryside

The Yellow Gold of Maremma winds for 25 kilometres from Scarlino to Pomonte, past fields of organically cultivated wheat, an ancient tradition that today risks extinction. Tasty stops are recommended at the Poggio Tondo farm in Pian D'Alma, the Maremmano pasta factory in Roccastrada, the Dolci Tradizioni shop, the Sicas pasta factory in Grosseto, at the Tommaso Giordana farm in Magliano in Toscana, the Il Panaio in Roccalbegna, Naturalmente Toscano in Semproniano and the Grani di Toscana agricultural cooperative in Pomonte. 

The finest olive oil, typical wines and Goji berries

Wine, oil and products of the Maremma: from traditions to innovations is a tour through areas producing extra virgin olive oil, a tradition dating back to the Etruscan era, and the Morellino di Scansano wine which is produced exclusively in the hilly area between the Ombrone and Albegna rivers in ​​the province of Grosseto. Thanks to the Maremma’s ideal climate another local product is the Goji berry, the so-called fruit of youth. Along the 39-kilometre itinerary from Roccatederighi to Ansedonia the local companies include the Magìa agricultural company in Giuncarico, the Ampeleia agricultural company in Roccatederighi, the San Lorenzo agricultural company in Cinigiano, the Pian di Maggio winepress in Vallerona, the Bragaglia farm in Montiano, the Ponte Capalbio farm in Capalbio and the Maliosa farm in Manciano.

Snail breeding, and craft beer from geothermal steam

The La Maremma Pisana tour is an exploration of the Upper Maremma that includes a large part of the province of Livorno south of Florence. The 41 kilometres between Capannoli and Venturina Terme are an area dedicated to the production of wines, wheat and olive oil but also niche cultivations like snail breeding and the first craft beer in the world using geothermal steam. Stops are at the Arcenni Tuscany snail breeding facility in Capannoli, the Vapori di Birra brewery in Sasso Pisano, the Ghimbergo farm in Suvereto and the Orzo Bolgherese di Cecina agricultural company. 

Exploring the land of ancient Etruscans and Romans

Massa Marittima and the Palazzo dell'Abbondanza is a tour showcasing the dedication, and sacrifices lavished by its inhabitants on this harsh and inaccessible territory as early as Etruscan and Roman days. The 15-kilometre route winds through Massa Marittima with the Fonte and the Palazzo dell'Abbondanza (a former granary) and, in its environs, the farms of Gabbricci Anna Maria, Camporuffaldo, Angela and Antonio Saba, Braglia Daniele, and the La Cura, MorisFarms and Podere Riparbella companies.

Butteri cowboys, fishing and gourmet stops

Tasty Suggestions of the Maremma Coast is a 51-kilometre route along the coast from Grosseto and Monte Argentario, and as far as Giglio Island: a land of butteri cowboys, spirulina algae crops, freshly caught fish and a fine liqueur made from myrtle berries. The gourmet stops are the Severino Becagli-Spirulina Made in Tuscany company in Grosseto, the Le Spighe agritourism, the I Pescatori d’Orbetello in Orbetello, the Il Casalone farm in Orbetello Scalo, and La Paloma al Giglio.

After Zurich, Helsinki, Paris, London, Nuremberg and Berlin, Foxtrail has finally arrived in the Eternal City. With its urban adventure formula, which is a mix between an outdoor escape game and a treasure hunt based on interactive clues, Foxtrail is the new way to discover Rome while having fun.

Urban adventure walking and biking trails around the Eternal City 

Forget all those guidebooks on the best places to see in Rome and let Foxtrail help you discover the city. For now there are three walking trails and two biking trails (more are coming soon) around some of Rome’s most beautiful areas like Trastevere, Villa Borghese and Villa Ada. Book your group (from two to six people), your slot (or more slots if you are a big group) and start exploring. There are departure slots every 30 minutes so you won’t meet other groups along the trail, and you can even book last minute on the same day!

A mix of technology and creativity, and fun for all ages

Unlike a classic treasure hunt, Foxtrail has permanent trails that can be enjoyed 365 days a year, from 9am till sunset. Each trail combines technology and creativity with interactive installations and clues that take you into many of the city’s off-the-beaten track areas.  Who is Foxtrail for? Everyone, and for all ages! Whether you’re travelling with children with your partner or with a group of friends this urban adventure is just the thing for you. And Romans, this is something for locals as well! Each trail lasts around two to three hours and all you’ll need is your map, paper and a pencil! And if for whatever reason you can’t make it, Foxtrail has a real-time helpline to ask for suggestions and solutions. Move, Think, Play! All info at www.foxtrail.it