Terme Merano is getting ready for Christmas. The first appointment is on 3 December with the Christmas Special Night that kicks off the holiday atmosphere and for the entire holiday period the skating rink in the Piazza Terme will be the most popular Christmas attraction, drawing between 100 to 150 skaters every day. Optimal ice conditions are guaranteed and the decorations and lights, the big Christmas tree and the nativity scene with life-size statues do the rest.  The magic continues inside the luminous glass cube with its swimming pools, sauna area and relaxation rooms. To cuddle up on a sofa in front of a roaring fire, with soft lights and background music is the ideal way to chill out. 

A line of locally-produced cosmetics to put under the tree

The Terme Merano cosmetic line, made with local South Tyrol products and enriched with precious thermal water, is perfect for all skin types. Among the large range of facial products there is the Apple Energy Serum which is rich in hyaluronic acid, while among the creams the Sensitive Cream is based on edelweiss extracts and  slows down the aging process. The Cleansing Milk with grapes has a light texture, is fresh and delicate and is suitable for all skin types. The Fruit Peel with fruit and apple acids is rich in vitamins and minerals, and the Vitamin Oil with sea buckthorn is a true concentrate of vitamin C and energy. The Anti Aging Mask, made from grapes, kaolin and shea butter, is rich in resveratrol the antioxidant par excellence that has a moisturizing, regenerating and illuminating action. 

Spa-perfect results also at home

Using these products you can get spa-perfect results at home. For example for a smoothing and moisturizing treatment you can cleanse the skin with the Cleansing Milk, apply the Fruit Peel and finish with the serum and cream. Or if you want an intensive illuminating treatment, after cleansing the skin apply the Fruit Peel for 5-8 minutes and then massage with six drops of Vitamin Oil.  

Cinnamon and gingerbread

The first appointment with the magical atmosphere of the holidays is at the Merano Thermal Baths on Friday 3 December with the Christmas Special Night. The trees in the park and the facade of the glass and steel cube are lit up, the swimming and sauna areas stay open until midnight and guests can also enjoy local food and wines. Start the morning with Brunch in the Bistro, a rich breakfast of cold cuts, poached eggs and bacon or smoked Norwegian salmon, raw vegetables and horseradish. And for lunch or dinner there is the Special Menu to be enjoyed in the informal setting of the Bistro or in the comfortable Self Service.

Merano Thermal Baths

Merano is a town to be enjoyed on foot

Stroll under the arcades to admire the elegantly decorated windows of the shops in the center. Or take a walk along the Passirio river.  Merano has a pleasantly mild climate even in winter and so is ideal to be enjoyed on foot at any time of year.  Terme Merano’s partner,  the City Hotel, has an offer available from 19 December 2021 to 8 January 2022: the Christmas in Merano package of 5 nights with breakfast, a sweet surprise in the room, a three-hour entrance to the Merano Thermal Baths, one partial massage in the City Spa and free use of the Wellness Center with a Spa kit and a MuseuMobilcard for public transport and to visit 90 museums in the South Tyrol. All starting from €689 per person.

For information: Terme Merano, www.termemerano.it.  Tel. 0473.252000.

Simply Hu (pronounced you) is a product built around the needs of each individual guest. Chief Marketing Officer Valentina Fioravanti explains the reason for the new name of the Human Company Group’s open-air brand:

It guarantees more brand awareness for our open-air segment consisting of seven villages and three urban campsites (all in Italy except one in Luxembourg. Ed.). Despite this difficult year for the travel industry, they have all performed really well.

 

Domestic demand was up 8%

The high season closed 10% over the forecast budget. Despite the slow start caused by regulatory uncertainties, the summer saw the overwhelming return of international visitors as well as a further increase in domestic demand with 876,000 Italian arrivals, +8% over the already excellent 2020 results.  This was chiefly thanks to the new Montescudaio village which, with its proximity to the sea, boosted Hu’s offer for seaside holidays, topping the estimated budget by 16%.

The German and Polish markets responded very well

However, what really pushed growth were international bookings.

The German market responded exceptionally well, with a 119% increase year on year - said Chief Commercial Officer Bruna Gallo - Arrivals from Holland also went very well (+ 40%), as they did from Poland. In 2019 Polish visitors were on the rise, then in 2020 they all but disappeared.  

 

A new lido and a sport village

A further contribution to Human Company’s success was a longer September season, again thanks to the German demand driven by evergreen guests. For 2022 the company intends consolidating this year’s numbers, and there are also projects underway with the new Eraclea Porto Tolle lido and the Cavriglia sport village.

The eighteen Autentico Hotels are all family owned and share a genuine passion for the art of authentic Italian hospitality and guest care. Unique in terms of location, identity and service, they have been chosen for their personality and warmth, and for how they ensure that guests enjoy exclusive experiences and memorable experiences.

Each hotel is a gateway to the most exclusive and sought-after corners of Italy

With Autentico Hotels you discovery a truly magical Italy with beauty at every corner, from the mountains to the sea and from the lakes to the big cities, all of which are rich in history, art and culture. Each one of the Autentico Hotels is different and unique, and is a gateway to the most exclusive and sought-after corners of Italy to be discovered through their food, lifestyle and local traditions.

Grand Hotel et de Milan has hosted Verdi, Callas and countless celebrities

It is a great pleasure to welcome a new hotel to our group -  said Mario Cardone, Business Development and Co-Founder Autentico Hospitality -.  The prestigious Grand Hotel et de Milan, a historic 5-star luxury hotel in the center of Milan, has been managed for generations and with great passion by the Bertazzoni family who recently renovated it while preserving the ancient charm of the noble 19th century Milanese residence.  
 

Giuseppe Verdi, Maria Callas, Gabriele D'Annunzio and, more recently, Vittorio De Sica and many other celebrities, have stayed in its sumptuous rooms.

Optimizing the performance of the member hotels’ websites

Today we are a benchmark for high-end hospitality as well as for our commercial representation, distribution and revenue management, information technology and digital marketing - continued Cardone -. We have a new partnership with Estrogeni, a marketing intelligence company specialized in digital marketing which has offices in Rome, London and Dortmund. The aim is to help the Autentico properties optimize the performance of their respective websites. 

The Val Gardena (South Tyrol - Dolomites) is an extensive winter sports paradise with 500 kms of slopes and modern ski lifts, and is connected to the world’s largest ski carousel. The slopes are for all levels of skier, from beginners to experts, and for this new season two exciting new ski runs have been added.  They are the La Ria, which was ready last season but never opened, and the Pilat, the long-awaited descent that will bring anyone skiing in the Siusi Alps back to Ortisei.

The new La Ria is a black ski run 

The new black La Ria run, which starts from the top station of the Dantercepies cable car and winds for more than a kilometer at 310 metres asl, has a maximum gradient of 52% and is a pure adrenaline flow for experienced skiers.

The new Pilat run has views over the Val Gardena valley

The other new slope, the Pilat, connects the Alpe di Siusi and the Val Gardena. A natural slope winding through rocky woodlands up to Ortisei, it is a spectacular forest track with unique views over the whole of the Val Gardena valley. It is 4,670 metres long with an altitude difference of 778 metres and an average gradient of 34%.

The new Sassolungo Cable Car can take ten people

Another novelty is the Leitner Ropeways on the Plan de Gralba; a Symphony 10 cabin designed by Pininfarina. This Sassolungo Cable Car has new standards in terms of comfort, safety and performance. The 10-person cabin is spacious and has a large entrance area that overcomes the stress of boarding.

 

The new cableway is an innovative concept of sustainable mobility. 

The 81 cabins, with premium heated seats by Leitner, have a capacity of 3,450 people an hour.
The cableway just installed in the Sassolungo and Sella area is an innovative concept of sustainable mobility. Thanks to the new lift and the 8-seater Gran Paradiso chairlift with heated seats, you can now reach the Passo Sella pass in just 25 minutes from the Plan de Gralba car park, making it possible to easily get to the Sella Pass even without a car - said Igor Marzola, Director Piz Sella Cable Car. 

After a long period of abstinence, great art exhibitions are back on the bill again in Rome. Autumn in particular is the ideal season to plan cultural visits and stays in the capital. The weather is no longer to hot, and museums are a wonderful alternative to outdoor activities on rainy days.

Sebastião Salgado, Amazônia   MAXXI 1 October-13 February 2022

This exhibition premiered in Italy and the more than 200 works bring you into Brazilian Amazonia, combining Salgado's photographs with the sounds of the forest. The works highlight the fragility of this ecosystem and the relationship humans have with i

First, woman. Margaret Bourke-White   Museo di Roma in Trastevere until 27 February 2022

Margaret Bourke-White is one of the most representative and emblematic figures of photojournalism. This retrospective documents her vision and her life in over 100 images. She was a pioneer and explored every aspect of photography, from collaborating with Fortune and Life to visual chronicles of the Second World War, and from famous portraits like those of Stalin and Gandhi to the South Africa of apartheid and the America of racial conflicts.

Klimt  Palazzo Braschi from 26 October 2021

Over 100 works are on display thanks to the collaboration with the Belvedere Museum in Vienna and in cooperation with the Klimt Foundation. Through paintings, drawings, sketches and posters divided into 14 sections, this is an homage to Klimt's life, with particular attention to his time in Italy.

Dante's Inferno   Quirinale Stables 15 October 2021-9 January 2022

An international event to mark the celebrations of the seven hundred years since the death of Dante Alighieri. This is the first exhibition dedicated to the Inferno. The 200 works tell the presence in iconography and thought, of the concept of hell and damnation from the Middle Ages to the present day through the words of Dante and as represented by artists from all eras.

All about Banksy Exhibition 2   Chiostro del Bramante until 9 January 2022

A new exhibition that tells you everything you want to know about the most famous unknown artist in the world through 250 works from private collections. There is also an important documentary section consisting of photographs, reports and videos.

I Marmi Torlonia. Collecting Masterpieces   Capitoline Museums until 9 January  2022
On display are 92 Greco-Roman works selected from the marbles of the most prestigious private collection of Greco-Roman art in the world. The works on display belong to the various collection groups that have been part of the Torlonia family since the early
1800s, and are a journey through the history of collecting and the restoration practices of ancient, Greek and Roman marbles.

Raphael and the Domus Aurea. The invention of grotesques.  Domus Aurea until 7 January 2022.

An exhibition that pays homage to the great artist Raffaello Sanzio in the year that marks 500th anniversary of his death, and illustrates the history of the rediscovery of the beautiful original frescoes in Nero's residence. For this event a new entrance to the Domus Aurea was inaugurated and a pedestrian access walkway leads from the Parco del Colle Oppio to the Sala Ottagona.

Acampora Travel returns to TTG Travel Experience with a wealth of news for the domestic and international markets. "The US market wants to return to Italy” announced Managing Director Gino Acampora who added, “and we are ready with an important investment plan.” 

The Salerno Costa D’Amalfi Airport will open in 2024 

The company is preparing for a strong relaunch. "At TTG Travel Experience we will be presenting many offers for groups and individuals. There are also interesting wedding packages on the Cilento and Sorrento coasts, two destinations with undiscovered potential that are set for huge development in coming years". In 2024 these areas will greatly benefit from the opening of the Salerno Costa D'Amalfi Airport. "The Campania airport system will serve a new important hub which, I am sure, will boost the interest of international tourists."

There is a desire to return to Italy, especially from the US market

Acampora is confident that Italian destinations can once again position themselves well on the international stage. “This is a difficult and complex season,” says Acampora, “but people want to travel and, thanks to the vaccination campaign, we will see good results. The summer is going fairly well, there is interest from the classic markets which are mainly domestic, but also international and Eastern European, even with private cars.” But it is next year’s bookings that unveil the return of overseas markets. “We have many requests for 2022,” says Acampora.  “There is a desire to return to Italy, especially from the US market and from individual customers.” 

The Marches region, on the Adriatic side of the Italian Apennine mountains, has many charming towns like Civitanova Marche, which holds Blue Flag status and is a popular seaside resort with a long beach, a fishing and tourist port, and three cycle paths. Leaving the town you can start your itinerary by visiting Civitanova Alta, the original settlement, an ancient village built on a hill inside the walls of a Medieval castle.

The town of Loreto is an important pilgrimage site

About 20 minutes by car from Civitanova Marche you can find one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Catholic world: the town of Loreto which owes its fame to the Basilica with the relic of the Holy House of Nazareth. Here, according to tradition, the Virgin Mary was born, lived and received the announcement of the miraculous birth of Jesus. Among the many great artists who contributed to this famous sanctuary and its frescoes are Luigi Vanvitelli, Pomarancio, Luca Signorelli, Melozzo da Forlì and Federico Zuccari.  

Orange-flat environmental-status towns and sandy beaches 

A few kilometers from Loreto we come to Recanati the birthplace of Giacomo Leopardi, one of the greatest Italian poets, and Beniamino Gigli, the famous opera singer. Close by we find Porto Recanati, a seaside resort with stony and sandy beaches, smart bathing establishments and playgrounds for children, water sports and cycle paths. Going inland you will be able to explore some of the most beautiful villages in Italy as well as little towns of great artistic and historical interest. Montecassiano, which holds the Italian Touring Club’s Orange Flag tourist-environmental status, is a late-Medieval town where you walk along narrow streets and alleyways and cross squares that have remained unchanged since the 15th century. Don’t miss a visit to the Collegiate Church of S. Maria Assunta with the monumental altarpiece by Fra Mattia della Robbia.

Ancient basilicas and a Benedictine Abbey 

Near the town of Montecosaro you will find the Basilica of Santa Maria a Pie 'di Chienti, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture. Montelupone is another Orange Flag Medieval village with old city walls and four gates that once defended the town. You should visit the Abbey of San Firmano a Benedictine abbey founded in the last years of the 10th century to admire the handsome raised presbytery and imposing staircase.

After the success of MyPass Ski and MyPass Venezia, MyPass now makes it easy to  discover two exciting attractions in Italy’s Liguria region. Use the pass to buy tickets – and avoid crowds and queues – for the Aquarium in Genoa and the Cinque Terre National Park with its iconic multi-hued little hill towns and stunning coastline.     

An innovative answer to the changing needs of tourism management

A joint-venture of C-WAY Tour Operator of Costa Edutainment and the Cinque Terre National Park, MyPass is an innovative answer to the changing needs of tourism management as it creates an integrated territorial promotion system. The idea is part of a broader collaboration – that will involve the sea and environmental education - between the Cinque Terre National Park and Costa Edutainment, two companies that have always been committed to safeguarding and enhancing the environment.

With MyPass special prices for one or two-day options 

With the MyPass App you can discover, book and buy the Cinque Terre Trekking Card and the Cinque Terre Train MS Card to experience the trails, villages and beaches in the National Park, as well as tickets for access to Genoa’s Aquarium. Also available at a special price for My Pass users is the joint offer of the Cinque Terre Trekking Card and the Aquarium of Genoa option for one or two days.

Access to car parks makes visiting comfortable and easy

And to make your Ligurian experience unique and easy to plan on the MyPass APP you can also find information, services and entertainment. For example an exclusive navigation in the Gulf of Poets or in the Cinque Terre on the daily HOP HOP Boat from the center of La Spezia. And the MyPass APP also gives access to car parks making visiting these locations even more comfortable and easy.

A sustainable contribution to promoting Italy

«In MyPass we have found a technological partner at a national and international level,” said Carla Sibilla, CEO C-Way.  “The Cinque Terre Park is a strong ally with whom we share important cultural and scientific values. Together we will make a sustainable contribution to promoting Italy. Digitization is an extraordinary opportunity that allows national parks to enhance their resources by improving services for visitors and businesses, and offers effective tools for monitoring the territory. This is indispensable for forward planning in terms of flow management and resource conservation,” added Donatella Bianchi, President Cinque Terre National Park.”

Using technology to make Italy’s attractions accessible, comfortable and safe

Guya Paganini, Founder and CEO of MyPass said: “The MyPass App will also have other services, offering users a wide range of products, from the mountains to the sea and from museums to parking, to transport. Our strategy is based on using technology to make Italy’s attractions accessible, comfortable and safe. Liguria is another important step in the MyPass story.”

Convention Bureau Italia and the Italian national tourist board ENIT (Italian National Tourism Board), together with partners YesMilano Convention Bureau, as Host Destination, and AIM Group International, as Creative Partner are organizing Italy at Hand, the MICE B2B fair, in Milan this December. European buyers can register for the Hosted Buyer Program including full participation in the three-day event, travel, hospitality and hotel accommodation in Milan at www.conventionbureauitalia.com/boxit/italy-at-hand-buyer-registration.  

45 leading Italian suppliers for 3 days of business Italian style

The exhibitor booths reserved for 45 of Italy’s top suppliers – the main Italian destinations, most important hotel and hotel chains, leading Italian agencies and conference centers - quickly sold out. The organizers say buyers can look forward to three days of business and fun in perfect Italian style with scheduled business meetings, networking and training activities. Italy at Hand: a unique opportunity for getting back to live networking.

The first signs of recovery, harmony between industry players, plans for a relaunch, promotions and marketing: these are the guidelines for a return to pre-pandemic tourism levels in the region says Councillor for Tourism and Local Authorities of the Lazio Region Valentina Corrado who says new investments will be made to promote the region on international markets.

A region to be discovered and enjoyed in all seasons

"The summer season that has just ended showed the first signs of recovery. Working together with the various trade associations we are committed to supporting the sector with investments of €15 million. "Our aim is to attract new tourist segments by creating a different identity for the region and giving visibility to lesser known attractions in the five provinces - to be enjoyed in all seasons – like spas, lakes, food and wine, villages, our coast and religious itineraries.

The Latium region is a multi-faceted and safe destination

Data from the VisitLazio portal show that neighbouring countries and also long-haul markets like the USA are interested in the region as a holiday destination,” said Corrado. “Latium is perceived as a safe destination thanks to the success of the anti-Covid vaccination campaign, and so we are concentrating on training to boost the quality of hospitality and we are working with the various federations, associations and operators to focus on strategic segments such as major events, weddings, motor racing and sport”.

Appealing to international markets

The Region has developed a €5 million plan of enhancement and local marketing to participate in Italian and international fairs, and to promote the Lazio brand and its diversity by investing in campaigns in the Italian and international media. The goal is to boost the appeal of the brand on foreign markets, favour seasonal adjustment and respond to the needs of a tourist who is increasingly attentive to sustainability and the quality of the services offered.  The Più Notti. Più Sogni offer consists of two formulas. The first offers one free extra night for every three booked and the second two free extra nights for every five nights booked. The offer has been extended to November 30, 2021. "We are reviewing our initial plan to run into next year, and we are adding a series of services that will involve travel agencies and tour operators".

Rome is a candidate for Expo2030

Italian Prime Minister President Draghi recently announced that Rome will put forward its candidacy for Expo 2030 and Rome is ready for the challenge said Councillor Corrado  "This is a unique opportunity for tourism in our region, with a major spinoff on industries and jobs.”