The WTM Global Travel Report cited the blend of business and leisure travel as driving tourism growth.

Business and leisure are a leading niche

Business travel has defied post-pandemic expectations, and when extended with leisure now represents the top opportunity for tourism growth, according to the findings of the Tourism Economics’ Travel Industry Monitor 2024 survey for the WTM Global Travel Report.  Citing a blend of leisure and business travel as a tourism growth opportunity, the report identified it as the leading niche.

In-person meets are “still highly valued”

Business travel’s performance has been “something of a surprise relative to prior expectations,” the report notes, with the post-pandemic persistence of online meetings and events expected to be the cause for its decline.   On the other hand, in-person meets are “still highly valued” and business overnights and spending have surpassed previous peaks. The report goes on to note that business travel is being built largely around business events whose annual growth of around 19% in 2024 outstrips a growth of around 11% for leisure visits according to Tourism Economics.

Business travellers are staying longer and spending more

While business travel’s growth is expected to slow somewhat to around 17% in 2025, against the  2024 to 2030 period, such visits are predicted to grow by around 50% against a growth in leisure visits of a little under 30% for the same period. It further emerged that business travellers are staying longer and spending more per trip and while the volume of international business visits currently remains 6% below pre-pandemic levels, the number of overnight stays are 3% higher than in 2019.

Remote working has had a positive effect 

Such extended visits are partly thanks to the trend for ‘bleisure’ - the combining of business trips with extra days of leisure tourism, notes the report which adds that remote working has had a positive effect, enabling travellers to be more flexible about working overseas around their leisure time. However pure leisure travel, which is also seeing extending lengths of stay, remains the most important travel segment in terms of volume and spending, comprising 69% of arrivals and 80% of global travel spending. 

The WTM provides valuable intelligence to travel pros

Juliette Losardo, exhibition director for World Travel Market London added: “WTM’s aim is to help attendees navigate change, ensuring travel professionals are equipped for the year ahead. Commissioning the WTM Global Travel Report supports our commitment to providing attendees with the latest trends shaping the travel landscape. The WTM Global Travel Report is produced in conjunction with Tourism Economics, part of Oxford Economics and was unveiled on Tuesday 5 November at WTM London which runs 5-7 November at the Excel exhibition and convention centre.

The official public presentation of Savona's candidacy dossier for Italian Capital of Culture 2027 is scheduled for 18 November. 

The bid covers a vast territory

The dossier entitled “New Routes for Culture” is the result of a long and intense participatory process involving 40 municipalities, 27 institutions and 27 cities in the North West, Italy and the Mediterranean. The Savona 2027 bid is a plural bid, involving a vast and united territory. The process, which began in the spring of 2023, has led to nine strategic development themes being identified and to be implemented in 9 renovated spaces in Savona and in symbolic places in the area.

A team effort with many local players

Savona 2027 has obtained the support of numerous bodies and partners including the Region of Liguria and the InLiguria Regional Agency for the Promotion of Tourism, the Province of Savona and various trade associations, among others. 

With Saboris Antigus 2024 Sardinia and Crete shared the same flavours, as the islands were gastronomically twinned.   

Sardinia and Crete have a common heritage

Trexenta and Sarcidano, the historical regions of central-southern Sardinia, recently organized a weekend of events on the eve of the debut of the new edition of Saboris Antigus. During this cycle of food and people events the link between Sardinian and Cretan culture were investigated and celebrated. The theatre for this two-day October intercultural connection were Nurri and Selegas with food becoming a means of storytelling, a vehicle for building ties, and an instrument for relations between apparently distant territories.

Similar local products on both islands

Crete - which has also been elected European Region of Gastronomy for 2026 - shares not just a rich cultural and archaeological heritage with Sardinia, but also an agricultural and cereal vocation of excellence that has allowed it to build a culinary tradition that has many points in common with Sardinia. For example, the Cretan Chodro (in Greek, χόνδρο), a typical product of the local cuisine, is a kind of pasta made with sour milk and coarse wheat and very similar to the Sardinian Fregula. Then there are the different types of bread, as well as products such as snails and olive oil, of which both islands can boast a historical production of excellence.

Synergies for future promotions

During the event Cretan chefs, together with their Sardinian colleagues, demonstrated the ancient similarity between the two islands, accompanied by a food anthropologist. The aim of the twinning, in addition to building an intercultural connection and a better understanding of the similarities and differences between two island traditions is also to build a solid interrelation between the two islands, creating a series of joint promotion and exchange activities, of which this first meeting was both a model and a starting point.

For ENIT the Italian national tourist board, the United Kingdom represents a key international market for Italian tourism, and in recent years it has seen a significant trend of recovery and growth. 

Increases in overnight stays and expenditure 

Since last year, there has been a sustained increase in both the number of UK travellers choosing Italy (+32.5%), which exceed 6.2 million, and in overnight stays, which total over 34.7 million (+15.9%), for average stays of over 5.5 nights. The growth in expenditure, which stands at €4 million 536 million, a +27.2% rise over 2022, represents the core of this market's deep and diversified interest in what Italy has to offer tourists.  Some 52.4% of overnight stays and 63% of expenditure are motivated by leisure holidays, with 26.2% of nights spent visiting family and relatives and accounting for 16.8% of total expenditure, to which should be added around 5% of nights spent visiting friends. Seven per cent of the overnights, totalling 10% of expenditure, were for occasional trips, while 6.5% of the overnights were for study trips, accounting for 2.2% or some €100 million in expenditure.

Culture and art cities dominate

A further €43.4 million was spent on honeymoons, amounting to 205,000 overnight stays.
Almost half of the chosen destinations are related to occasional trips. Among the planned itineraries, cultural locations and the art cities dominate, with a share of 31.5% of the total number of overnight stays - around 11 million - and as much as 37.4% of tourist expenditure, amounting to €1.7 billion. This is followed by seaside destinations, which, with over 4.3 million overnight stays and €600 million in tourist expenditure, account for 12.5% and 13.2% respectively. Lake resorts with 937,000 overnight stays and €231.2 million of expenditure are on the podium as the third type of stay preferred by the British market.

Mountain and green tourism choices are popular 

Among the more niche choices, mountain holidays count 697,000 overnight stays and an expenditure of €132.5 million. These are followed by green tourism, with over 591,000 overnight stays and €92 million spent (a 50% rise on last year).  Amongst the motivational niches, food and wine trips account for 274,000 overnight stays and over €39 million in tourist spending, with sports holidays counting 153,000 overnight stays and generating €23.3 million.

From 2 to 5 December, Sorrento will turn into the capital of cinema with the 47th edition of the Professional Days of Cinema.

The theme this year is the Next Generation

Over 1,500 industry experts will take part in workshops, conferences, events and screenings, while the general public will be able to attend previews and meet the most popular film stars. This year, the theme is Next Generation, and it looks at the tastes and habits of the younger generation, in a magical atmosphere that officially kicks off the Christmas celebrations. A journey for industry experts and big screen lovers and an opportunity to enjoy a few days in the new and refined 5-star luxury hotel Ara Maris, one of the few that is also open at Christmas and New Year.

Celebrating Christmas in Sorrento

The 2024 edition will open to the public with the inauguration, which this year will be on Monday 2 December and will officially kick off the screenings and conferences, right up to the eagerly awaited Golden Ticket evening, which has now become an eagerly awaited appointment for all the people of Sorrento. In addition Sorrento dresses up with many events that officially open the programme to celebrate the Christmas festivities.

Refined stays at the Ara Maris

Visiting Sorrento’s marvellous coastline on the occasion of this event dedicated to the art of cinema is magical and truly unique, added to which a refined stay at the Ara Maris, offers all comforts for those who also travel for business, without renouncing the magical Christmas atmosphere of the Sorrento Peninsula. This contemporary hotel stands out for its strategic location, the starting point for admiring and exploring the beautiful coastline and deep blue sea. From sailing trips to trekking, to the beautiful islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida nearby, there are numerous activities on offer for visitors. For information: www.aramarishotel.com

The Omnia Hotels group is gearing up for an exciting 2025, while the Shangri-La Roma Eur expands.

The new Hotel Imperiale on the Via Veneto

Next year will see the inauguration of the new Hotel Imperiale on the Via Veneto, the Aria Palace next to the Rome Opera House, as well as the brand new Shangri-La Roma Eur, bringing back to life an historic Roman restaurant, as well as offering guests ample outdoor spaces and new rooms.

Over a thousand guest rooms in eight hotels

Omnia Hotels will be able to offer the city of Rome over a thousand guest rooms in its eight hotels, together with restaurants and bars, rooftops, fitness and wellness areas and swimming pools, and of course meeting and event rooms including the newly opened Omnia Convention Center in Eur.

“Our guests come from all over the world”

“These last months of the year see us very busy on several fronts, in a delicate stage of development of the various construction sites for the opening of these three new facilities, together with all the operational activities laid on for our guests who come from all over the world,-  says the company's CEO Francesco Lazzarini. 

The Aosta Valley, or Valle d'Aosta, is home to many products that have been granted D.O.P. Protected Designation of Origin status.

Flavors based on fresh local products

This Italian region that borders Piedmont to the south and east, and France to the west, has many local excellences: jewels in the crown of a range of gastronomic products that have their strong points in the particular geographical location, the quality of the raw materials and ancient production techniques Who has not tried Fontina DOP, the authentic queen of the Valle d'Aosta cheeses made with raw, whole milk? And what about the different flavours of Formadzo DOP which is semi-sweet when fresh and strong when more mature, or the  Vallée d'Aosta Lard d'Arnad which is unbeatable on rye bread or accompanied by honey, and the Callée d'Aoste Jambon de Bosses, the king of dry-cured hams?

Ricotta cheese like you’ve never tasted it

But even outside the D.O.P. ranks, the Valle d'Aosta can boast products of excellence that bring with them the stories and flavors of this territory, together with all their quality, and they are labelled PAT, which denotes a typical food product. We are talking, for example, about Seras, a prized light-coloured ricotta cheese documented in Valle d'Aosta as far back as 1268. And by kneading the ricotta with salt, pepper, juniper, fennel and cumin we get Salignon, which is produced and distributed by some dairies in the lower Valle d'Aosta.

Dried beef, pork lard and BBQ ham

Tough to the eye, Mozetta dried beef is in fact tender and tasty, while the Tetuen salted beef udder goes well with sauces and jams. Then there is the Boudin sausage made from potatoes and lard, the secrets of which have been handed down from generation to generation and whose recipe changes from locality to locality, and another must is the delicious Saouseusse minced and seasoned Aosta Valley beef and pork lard. Among the Valle d'Aosta PATs, one that really stands out is the Jambon alla Brace of Saint-Oyen. Made in the valley of the Great St Bernard, this very high-quality cooked meat is first a brined with salt, aromas and honey, then steamed for 24 hours and finally barbecued in a wood-fired oven

DOC wines for all tastes

And to drink? All the wines from Valle d‘Aosta are under the D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) Valle d’AOsta- Velée d’Aoste  label, which unites varieties such as Torrette, Blanc de Morgex-La Salle, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Fumin and many others. Valdostan viticulture is often considered heroic, by virtue of the particular conformation of the land, redesigned with terracing and dry-stone walls in order to grow grapes in most difficult to reach areas.  

Create your own Valle d’Aosta wine route 

This landscape, so profoundly shaped by the culture of wine, offers enchanting scenery to be travelled at leisure, admiring the dizzying rise of the Alpine massifs on one of the many treks that can be enjoyed through the region's vineyards.   If, on the other hand, you decide to assemble your own personal wine route in Valle d'Aosta, there is no shortage of wineries to choose from. And although lighter than wine - and preferred by many - the excellent sparkling local apple cider is another specialty to be enjoyed in the Aosta Valley.

Autumn is apple time in the Aosta Valley

The apple is the absolute queen of the first weekends of October, with the Flta de Pomme in Gressan (Sunday, 6 October) and the Mele Vallée market exhibition in Antey-Saint-André (12-13 October), where all the products derived from the apple can be tasted in addition to the many regional varieties. The biggest food and wine event of the year in Valle d'Aosta, however, is the Marché au Fort at the Fortress of Bard, when the impregnable fortress will be taken over on 12 and 13 October 2024 by no less than 70 producers from every corner of the region. For information: https://www.lovevda.it; https://www.fortedibard.it/eventi/prodotti-del-territorio-e-specialita-gastronomiche-al-marche-au-fort/

The new collaboration between the Leonardo Hotels group and the Ferrari Club Passione Rossa opened with the event From Rome to Paris in Red. 

Thirty red Ferraris on a symbolic journey

On 27 September thirty Ferrari cars, branded Leonardo Hotels and Nyx Hotel Rome by Leonardo Hotels, left Rome travelling to Lazise on Lake Garda, on a symbolic journey that will continue in the next months with a European stop and end in Paris. The partnership also put the spotlight on the new Roman opening of the Nyx Hotel Rome by Leonardo Hotels, scheduled for early 2025. 

“Our hotels are ideal for hosting high-level events”

“We are delighted to inaugurate our collaboration with Passione Rossa Ferrari Club with this unique journey that perfectly expresses the identity of our brands,- say Raphael Carmon, country general manager Italy, France & Hungary. -The From Rome to Paris in Red event testifies to our dynamic and constantly evolving approach. The choice of Lazise and the Leonardo Hotel Lago di Garda to host the first symbolic stage of this Ferrari ride underlines how ideal our hotels are for hosting high-level events.” 

Ferrari Club Passione Rossa - a passion for travel and luxury

The association with Ferrari Club Passione Rossa, an association of collectors who cultivate a passion for travel and the world of luxury, sees the involvement of Fabio Barone, the club's founder and president, who has won six Guinness World Speed Records driving a Ferrari, the last of which was in June 2024 on the Garibaldi aircraft carrier in Taranto. Among Barone’s most spectacular feats is driving 30 Ferraris to the Arctic Circle for the first time in history.

Over 150,000 passengers chose four Italian airports this summer with a load factor exceeding 80%

The two major stopover airports were Dubai and New York

In June and July flights to and from the four gateways served - Rome, Venice, Milan and Bologna – gave Emirates a load factor that exceeded 80% according to data released by the Dubai-based airline on the occasion of World Tourism Day.  The carrier operated over 600 flights with a mix of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s through the four Italian airports. The two main international airports for stopovers were Dubai and New York, although they were not necessarily the final destinations. In fact, beyond these two major hubs, passengers departing from Italy continued their journey to destinations such as Denpasar, Tokyo, Bangkok and Malè.

Arriving passengers stayed almost 17 days 

Considering the 150,000 bookings of the peak period, Emirates' data revealed an interesting trend: as many as 59% of travellers chose to travel alone. This figure underlines a growing trend towards individual tourism and highlights the growing number of business travellers. In contrast, sone 5,900 bookings were made for group travel with three or more people. Passengers arriving in Italy stayed for almost 17 days and spent an average of €1,700 for the flight. Inbound passengers were from Australia, Dubai and New York.

“A summer load factor of 80.9%”

“Italian tourism has experienced an exceptional year – says Flavio Ghiringhelli, Emirates Italy country manager. - Emirates, with a load factor of 80.9% during the summer, consolidated its position as leader in the air sector. Thanks to top quality products and services, unrivalled connectivity and a strong commitment to the Italy, Emirates has contributed significantly to the growth of Italian tourism this summer.”