The Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics are in full swing. Leaving aside the controversy over the soaring hotel room prices and many ancillary services, and setting aside discussions about the delay in completing infrastructural works, we have entered the vortex of an event that puts the spotlight on our entire country. With a long-lasting impact that, as past editions of various events have shown us, will be felt even more strongly in the years ahead.

This is the driving force behind major events: capitalizing on the power of word of mouth and media exposure, and generating interest and curiosity even in those who, for now, have only seen Italy on television screens or social media.

In the meantime, however, the first figures are starting to arrive. Linate and Malpensa airports are enjoying a peak in flights from Canada, the United States and even China. The positive data collected by IATA contrasts with the analysis conducted by Cirium, which puts the traffic into Milan on a par with what happened with the Olympic Games in Paris. And neighbouring countries seem somewhat hesitant to visit Milan and its region during the sporting event, with bookings from Germany down 1.8% and down 8.3% from France. 

It‘s still too soon to offer even a preliminary assessment, but the international attention our country is receiving these days gives us every reason to feel optimistic.

Isabella Cattoni
Journalist

Giorgio Marchegiani, CEO of Una Italian Hospitality, says “our response to an evolving market” sees new customer demands providing the fundamental impetus for future strategies.  

Last-minute is now widespread in long-haul markets

"We are witnessing a continuous evolution in the needs of both Italian and international leisure and business customers who are increasingly oriented towards flexibility, authenticity and experience. On the leisure front the trend towards last-minute bookings has strengthened and is now widespread in long-haul markets such as the United States, together with a growing segmentation of demand from numerous “repeaters” seeking local experiences and theme trips linked to specific interests, from culture to wellness and from sport to food."

“We have accelerated digitalization” 

There has also been a significant increase in attention to local communities, “with strong demand, for example, for farm-to-fork experiences particularly from the European, US and Canadian markets, while the MICE and corporate segment is also evolving towards a more flexible and experiential model.  “It requires an increasingly diversified offering, and it’s becoming crucial to focus on multifunctional spaces and hybrid solutions. To manage these trends, we have accelerated digitalization, making the speed of response a key element of our commercial approach. We offer a balanced mix of dynamic and fixed solutions to support the budgetary needs of European travel managers and ensure continuity in bookings.”

An integrated vision of hospitality

There is also a strong focus on sustainability, ease of digital contact and combined offers for business and leisure. This integrated vision of hospitality, which is authentic, responsible and experience-oriented, allows us to strengthen our brand positioning and remain a partner of choice for global travellers and businesses.”

Graziano Debellini, president of TH Group is raising the bar with a €400 million target, and €40 million in EBITDA, by 2030.

“What are challenges for the TH Group, and its future goals?

“We invested in 2025 and have identified several goals. We know we can play a leading role in the mountains, an area we have moved into to complete our product range and competitiveness. With the reopening of the TH Borca di Cadore - Parc Hotel Des Dolomites, we have added another piece to the mosaic that now spans all seasons, seamlessly integrating sea and mountain experiences.”

“The seaside accounts for…20% of our turnover”

The art cities are a second driver of development. “We started with Assisi, Rome and Peschiera, all of which are prestigious locations. Without any pretensions of competing with the big brands’ hotels in cities and smaller towns, our aim is to develop a new product that is distinctly experiential.” And then the seaside, “which is already an important part of TH Group and currently accounts for about 20% of our turnover.”

What is the outlook for 2025?

“We are closing 2025 with a turnover of close to €300 million.   We have restructured all areas of the group, and hanks to dynamic pricing we are able to optimize occupancy and safeguard a more orderly and strategic growth. The flexibility of the length of stay, which is no longer only the traditional seven nights, allows us to reach the maximum number of customers, and thanks to partners like CDP Equity and ISA we have been able to grow while maintaining our DNA unchanged.”

What is the outlook for the coming years? What still needs to be improved?

“The hotel industry in Italy should function like a well-conducted orchestra, something that is challenging to achieve for many reasons. There is extreme fragmentation with around 34,000 active hotels, making collaboration difficult. But there are some positive examples, such as Trentino Alto Adige, which has managed to build a system that works in a similar way to that of the large hotel chains.”

What is your recipe for facing the challenges of the future with confidence?

“In the post-Covid era the hotel industry has become a necessary asset for travellers, operators and local areas. The potential for growth has expanded considerably, but it is necessary to define one's identity and invest in innovation and training, and also to join forces and view with greater esteem, attention and collaboration a sector with great potential for development, that can contribut to sustainable, long-term economic growth for Italy."

Vivara Viaggi has linked its name to one of the most iconic experiences in Emilia Romagna: a visit to the Ferrari Museums. 

Specialized in Ferrari museum visits

Located in Maranello and Modena, these two museums are the starting point for discovering a region rich in tourist attractions.  “Our travel agency was founded 15 years ago specialized in services dedicated to individuals, groups and incentives wanting to visit the Ferrari Museums, and also discover the region. We organize everything, from transfers to accommodation, to the experiences,” owner Fabio Fabbri told ItaliAbsolutely.

Foreign markets from the US to Eastern Europe

Vivara Viaggi operates from Bologna and Maranello and also caters to international markets. "Our collaboration with the Ferrari Museums accounts for about half our turnover. Among our most profitable markets the United States, Brazil and Europe, with Germany, France, Spain and Eastern Europe lead the way, with Emilia Romagna often being a stop on a more complex itinerary especially for long-haul markets. 

“The future could not look more positive”

Our aim is to offer the museum visits as part of a complete package, which can include a shuttle service, hotel accommodation and the chance to discover the many appealing attractions of the Romagna Riviera. We took a chance on this business right from the start, buying buses, putting drivers on staff and structuring ourselves to respond to all types of customers. The results are rewarding us, and the prospects for the future could not look more positive.

Italy, a home to major events, is preparing to welcome an influx of visitors for the 25th Winter Olympics, scheduled for 6 to 22 February. Is everything ready? It's hard to say, with works still being completed and tickets still to be sold.

The target figure, as revealed in the report “Italy unites the world. Milan Cortina 2026: building bridges through sport” by Banca IFIS, is €5.3 billion, which should  be the economic impact on Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige, the three regions involved in the event.Just under 3,000 athletes from 90 countries are expected to attract over 2.5 million visitors, for an estimated global audience of over three billion people. And an additional 400,000 spectators are expected for the Paralympics, scheduled for 6-15 March.

However, what is creating great expectations is not so much these figures as the value generated by investments in infrastructure which is estimated at around €3 billion and involves the construction of over 90 projects including sports facilities, new railway lines, urban redevelopment and road improvements. 

Further fuelling expectations is the expected “chain” effect on tourism in the following years. Because the revenue from tourist spending during the event will be added to the income guaranteed by the increase in tourists that will be recorded in the 12-18 months after the event. All of which should contribute to total tourist spending of more than €2.3 billion. The first to benefit from these effects have been owners of short-term rentals, who are seeing huge surges in revenue. According to a AirDna's survey, total turnover in Milan during the competition period will increase by 589% compared to revenues recorded in the same period in 2025.

In just three weeks we will be in the thick of it, finally able to evaluate how much of this significant opportunity will translate into tangible benefits for our country.

Isabella Cattoni
Journalist

Sustainability has become one of the workhorses of tourism promotion, ready to intercept a new form of demand that respects not only the natural environment, but also the cultures and territories visited as a fundamental principle.

Over time the concept of “sustainability” has evolved and gained greater depth, encompassing a whole range of activities capable of connecting the visitor more deeply to a destination. In Italy sustainable tourism is a valuable key for opening doors to new markets. The future has already begun and there is no shortage of examples.

Starting with the investments made in slow and widespread tourism by the Campania Region, which has led to the upgrading of the Appia and Francigena routes and the development of the regional Cammini network, involving 69 municipalities and wuth the support of €10 million. Not to mention the artisan and agri-food supply chains: today Campania is second in the south of Italy for DOP, IGP and STG appellations, fourth for starred restaurants, and has recorded a 23% growth in agritourism, especially in the Salerno area.

Transport is also of fundamental importance for the development of sustainable projects as Lazio has shown by recently launching the “Gran Tour del Lazio”, a ring-route cycle itinerary of over 100 kilometres, divided into 18 stages or thematic routes, each of which begins and ends at a railway station thus promoting train-bicycle intermodality. Over the next two years FIAB will carry out work financed with a regional contribution to make the route operational.

Campania and Lazio: two small examples, drops in an ocean of opportunities ready to be harnessed to channel tourist flows intelligently, sustainably, and profitably.

Sartoria Cibrèo for catering, tailor-made events, tours and experiences in Florence and Tuscany. 

From catering to events and tours

Sartoria Cibrèo was founded in 2020, but the family experience goes back to 1979, when the  father of Giulio Picchi, current owner and COO of the group, started a restaurant project that has expanded and reinvented itself over time, with the same enthusiasm as the early days. "We were born in Florence and our business is concentrated in the city. It was the market that inspired our way forward. As demand grew, while focusing on catering, we went on to embrace the events’ segment and then expanded to other activities like discovering the city and the region".

The shoulder months are now in demand

The Cibrèo Group’s “Sartoria” project - a word taken from ancient Florentine meaning a collection of good things - has gradually evolved with new content and today the family business is able to organize tailor-made events for two or for hundreds of people. "Without ever altering our identity, which is rooted in authentic catering, “Sartoria” is the fastest growing branch of the company.  2025 was another strong year, and seasonality has changed, starting to reward the shoulder months such as October and November." The Cibrèo Group’s ability to seize new opportunities was reflected, for example, in the opening of the Cibrèo restaurant and cocktail bar in the Helvetia & Britstol in Florence, and in the development of a whole series of tailor-made services.

“Food...speaks to the heart”

"Food is a universal language, which speaks to the heart.” Our strength is the certainty of contributing to the preservation of a region with many peculiarities. We work in contact with people who have the joy of dining out; and what we do is extremely rewarding. Being the romantics and dreamers that we are, we will continue to raise the bar.  We also organize activities like van tours, bicycle excursions, visits to local businesses and food producers, as well as ceramic courses. and we work closely with local craftsmen in workshops in the Sant'Ambrogio district of Florence.”

The Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games are a major topic of discussion, and it is now time to consider the impact, beyond the official proclamations, they may have on inbound tourism in Italy. The most optimistic target foresees the growth of tourist spending in the order of €1 billion in the period 2027-2030 in the three regions hosting the event: Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige.

The bar was set at one billion by The European House Ambrosetti, which in its third “Strategic Report on Sustainable Tourism and World Heritage” pointed out that the five provinces involved in the Games are expected to receive around three million additional tourist stays. Of fundamental importance, as the daily newspaper Il Sole 24Ore notes, will be the optimization of flows and the enhancement of local areas. A concept exemplified by the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, which almost doubled tourist stays in the city within a few years of the event. What played the decisive role was not so much, and not only, direct investment in infrastructure, but a change in how the city was perceived as a destination for culture, entertainment, and seaside breaks.

By contrast the €8 billion in total expenditure allocated for the Athens 2024 Olympic Games brought with it expensive and largely underused infrastructure, along with a significant public debt. And as The European House Ambrosetti points out, many sports facilities are now in a state of neglect or decay due to a lack of reuse. History teaches us that m

History teaches us that making the “event effect” lasting and structural,  calls for sound destination management planning that can generate knock-on effects across every segment of tourism, including those not directly linked to the event. Will we be able to do this?

The approach taken seems sound, limiting new infrastructural interventions to a minimum in the interest of sustainable development. Two new works, the bobsleigh run in Cortina and the Olympic Village in Milan have, in fact, been built with a clear purpose for their future use.

Isabella Cattoni
Journalist