The 28th edition of the Andersen Festival returns to Sestri Levante in Liguria from 5 to 8 June.

Dedicated to unpublished fairy tales

The festival, linked to the Andersen Award-Bay of Fairy Tales is dedicated to unpublished fairy tales. Founded in 1967, over the years the award has become a benchmark in the world of literature for children and young adults, and is one of the longest-running literary contests in Italy, this year in its 58th edition.

New forms of visual language

The 28th edition of the Andersen Festival will be under the artistic direction of Duccio Forzano, a popular television and theatre director, known for his creative approach and ability to transform projects into unique experiences. The festival aims at exploring new forms of visual language and involving an increasingly vast and diversified audience, with a special focus on the world of childhood.  

Duccio Forzano“This year’s theme is Time” 

"I am happy to be in charge of this festival for the next three years, and this year I chose to create a theme dedicated to Time which does not stand still; we live on our memories and who better than children to represent this” says Duccio Forzano 

A festival that will impact on the city of Sestri Levante

"On behalf of the city council, I am delighted that Duccio Forzano will bring his talent to Sestri Levante to lead our festival which this year, while remaining faithful to its tradition linked to childhood, will be able to profoundly renew itself, offering new cultural impetus to the city and the Tigullio area,” says Sestri Levante’s mayor, Francesco Solinas.

Sestri Levante is some 30 miles from Genoa 

Sestri Levante is a charming coastal town about 30 miles southeast of Genoa, famous for its stunning Baia del Silenzio (Bay of Silence), a picturesque beach with crystal-clear waters. The historic old town is filled with colorful Ligurian houses, boutiques shops, and delicious seafood restaurants. For nature lovers, a hike to Punta Manara offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Ligurian coastline.

Italy is welcoming travelers with fresh and exciting trends in 2025. One is Noctourism which entails exploring destinations after dark. Think moonlit hikes through ancient ruins, guided stargazing, wildlife safaris or wandering through lively night markets as well as evening theater performances and concerts.

All-inclusive luxury travel is also on the rise, with more hotels and providers offering seamless, stress-free stays by curating experiences that go beyond just accommodation. The add-ons go from gourmet dining and premium spa treatments to themed getaways, and with everything included upfront there are no worries about extra costs.  

Also in demand is soft travel tourism, which means thrilling experiences with minimal effort, like guided nature walks, hot-air balloon rides, and scenic kayaking. And what could be better than pairing these with relaxation, like a wine tasting after a countryside hike?    

Pamela McCourt Francescone
Executive Editor

Three ITA Airways aircraft get the “Inspired by Alitalia” brand proudly displayed.

A Rome-Haneda flight is the first to carry the Alitalia brand

As announced last September, and after an initial launch on a few strategic touchpoints - the carrier's app and website - ITA Airways has chosen to bring the brand back to the air on a latest-generation Airbus A350 that made its debut on 15 February on the Rome Fiumicino-Tokyo Haneda route. During the summer of 2025 “Inspired by Alitalia” will also be displayed on two other aircraft, an Airbus A321neo, used on medium-haul routes, and an Airbus A220-100, used mainly for short-haul flights.

Associating the Alitalia brand with the ITA Airways logo

“The Alitalia brand,- reads a note from the airline, -an important asset owned by ITA that pays homage to the history of aviation and the country with its pioneering excellence in air transport, is thus enhanced through a concrete and ambitious project that aims to associate the Alitalia brand with the identifying ITA Airways logo, thus strengthening it with its values of excellence in air transport, which are unanimously recognized around the world.” 

ITA’s CEO says they are aiming for a relaunch 

ITA Airways acquired the Alitalia brand for €90 million in October 2021 - just before the new company took off - but the investment, particularly valuable at an international level due to its brand identity and Italian heritage, remained on the shelf. Until 2024 when it was decided to re-evaluate it, with Lufthansa - which on 17 January acquired a 41% stake in ITA Airways - deciding its fate. ITA's CEO Joerg Eberhart explained that the brand “has a high value and potential, but before relaunching it we would like to reach breakeven in order to relaunch it in a much better way.” 

Château Monfort, Planetaria's 5-star hotel in Milan, is now offering Cinq Mondes treatments.

Products and treatments from the leading French brand

New products and rituals inspired by traditions from all over the world. Château Monfort, Planetaria's 5-star hotel in Milan, has enriched its offer thanks to a partnership with Cinq Mondes, the leading French brand specializing in spa treatments and offering skincare, bodycare and fragrances. “We are very proud of this new collaboration, thanks to which Amore e Psiche becomes the only Cinq Mondes spa in Milan,- says Stefano Risolè, brand and development manager of Planetaria Hotels. The quality and effectiveness of their products, combined with the unique range of rituals and treatments on offer, integrates and completes the renovation process we recently carried out on our wellness area, offering our guests a true oasis of well-being removed from the hustle and bustle of the city.”

Cinq Mondes treatments

Access to the spa is only on reservation

The Amore e Psiche spa was designed as a timeless space, where every detail evokes contact with nature. The swimming pool, sensory showers and Turkish bath are in delicate earthy colours with reflective surfaces and soft lighting making the environment, designed for exclusive use, even more evocative. Access to the wellness area is only on reservation and for two hours, as a couple or in small groups.

Featuring Polynesian rituals and massages

Present in over 30 countries and in more than a thousand spas in 4 and 5-star hotels, Cinq Mondes now brings numerous treatments to the Amore e Psiche spa, including the 50-minute Polynesian Ritual, inspired by the beauty traditions of the Polynesian islands, and the famous Lomi-Lomi massage, designed to relieve deep muscle tension whike restoring vitality and energy.

Visit Emilia brings together art, innovation, and culture, with avant-garde cultural spaces, unique installations, prestigious collections and visionary exhibitions. 

A land that looks to the future, secure in its roots

With Visit Emilia the Slow Mix journey through Parma, Piacenza and Reggio Emilia to explore new forms of creativity and innovation, starts in Piacenza and ends in Reggio Emilia. It also passes through Parma touching all the wonders of a territory that looks to the future without forgetting its roots.

Art from Klimt to contemporary works

Starting in Piacenza, the Ricci Oddi Gallery welcomes one of its most enigmatic treasures: Gustav Klimt's Portrait of a Lady, which disappeared in 1997 and was rediscovered in 2019. This masterpiece, together with works by Boldini, Boccioni and Casorati, makes the Gallery an essential stop for art lovers. XNL Piacenza, which once housed the offices of the national electricity company Enel, has been converted into a cultural venue dedicated to contemporary art. It hosts advanced training projects and offers activities, workshops and meetings aimed at schools and an adult public.

The journey ends with Renaissance cloisters

XNL Volumnia, a deconsecrated basilica, has been transformed into a unique art space, with Renaissance stuccoes nudging contemporary works in a breathtaking dance. Here art, culture and contemporary cuisine come together thanks to the recovery of the monastery's carpentry workshop and its conversion into a restaurant. The journey continues in the Cloisters of San Pietro, Reggio Emilia’s most extraordinary monumental complex and one of the most evocative of the Italian Renaissance.

The Espace de Pila Tourist Consortium has reached a milestone for the tourist development of Aosta, Gressan and Charvensod with the allocation of funds from the Bando Montagna Italia.

Heritage, outdoors, rural traditions and gastronomy 

This funding opens up unprecedented horizons for an innovative and responsible relaunch of the entire mountain territory and aims to create a unique destination harmoniously uniting the three municipalities of Aosta, Gressan and Charvensod. Aosta will offer an immersion in its historical and cultural monumental heritage. Pila will be confirmed as the fulcrum for outdoor experiences, with itineraries and activities that can be enjoyed in both summer and winter and Gressan and Charvensod will focus on enhancing rural traditions and excellence in food and wine that reflect the authenticity of local roots.

The focus is on the socio-economic revival of the area

The Montagna Italia call for proposals, published in July 2022 as part of the Ministry of Tourism's Development and Cohesion Plan, made available funding for €26.7 million, 80% of which was allocated to southern Italian regions and only 20% to central and northern regions. The project presented by Pila stood out in terms of quality and vision, obtaining funding despite the limited share available for northern regions by focusing on innovative and synergic solutions for tourism development, and the socio-economic revival of the area.

Strategic objectives and long-term-vision

The project is not limited to improving the existing tourism offer but aims to completely redefine the positioning of these territories on international markets. An ambitious objective but one that is achievable thanks to an innovative approach, aimed at creating a tourist destination with few equals worldwide. The cornerstones of the initiative will combine nature, culture and local traditions in an authentic and engaging way, with sustainability as the key to combining tourism progress and the preservation of environmental resources, and accessibility with a focus on ensuring that everyone, including those with special needs, can fully enjoy the experiences on offer. 

A sustainable and inclusive tourist destination

The project aims to transform the area into an innovative, sustainable and inclusive tourist destination, able to compete with the best international destinations, Thanks to this initiative, Aosta, Gressan and Charvensod will no longer be perceived as individual localities, but will present themselves as a dynamic and engaging destination, capable of attracting travellers from all over the world. The synergy between monumental heritage, outdoor experiences, landscapes and local traditions will be the leitmotif.

Itineraries and experiences

The project, financed through the Bando Montagna Italia, will consist of a system of experiences and integrated itineraries, in which operators will dialogue with different tourist targets, developing experiences that will contribute to creating an induced activity for the area's operators. Examples include gastronomic and cultural tours, ski mountaineering itineraries, itineraries to discover the area's monuments, educational visits to farms, aperitifs in vineyards as well as photo shooting and sports itineraries. In collaboration with the Consortium and the public administrations many local associations and tour operators in the area, cultural associations and sports associations have been involved from the outset. 

The Maremma-based The Sense Experience Resort gets its fifth star. 

Putting the focus on eco-friendly aspects

The new star is the result of a repositioning process of the Icon Collection's Follonica The Sense property, with the focus on eco-friendly aspects of the project like the redevelopment of the coastal dunes, and the use of sustainable materials. The property will also get new luxury suites, as well as an exclusive spa with an indoor pool and a second outdoor pool.

Promotions to highlight the history and traditions of Tuscany

New additions include the design of its seaside restaurant, Eatè, which is aiming for a prestigious Michelin star, with a cuisine celebrating the authentic flavours of Tuscany, and with the five-star project aiming to represent a growth opportunity for the entire area. The creation of an academy for staff training will, among other things, help enhance and elevate the local professional community, offering new job opportunities and enhancing the Maremma's human heritage. In addition, the resort will act as a promoter of the area, collaborating with local producers to promote experiences that highlight the history and traditions of Tuscany.