Good news from Euromonitor’s Travel Forecast Model, as reported by Travel Daily News, which forecasts that world inbound tourism spending this year should attain 83% of its peak 2019 levels, returning to full glory by 2024.

Values-based offers such as sports, wellness and eco-tourism are headed to outperform standard packages, with an average growth of over 12% per year over 2023-2027. And nature-based adventure, eco and sun and sea tourism is predicted to account for 57% of all travel packages worldwide in 2023.

Further good news is that 57.3% of travel companies say customers are willing to pay more for sustainable products and services. So it’s yes! yes! yes! to experiencing local traditions like food and drink that can turn a holiday into the trip of a lifetime.    

 

Pamela McCourt Francescone
Executive Editor

The Maze of the Masone (Labirinto della Masone) near Fontanellato in the province of Parma, is a treat and an indulgence for lovers of mystery, and is the brainchild of the publisher, designer, art collector and bibliophile Franco Maria Ricci. 

The Maze also hosts exhibitions and events year-around 

The Maze which is on his estate has reopened to the public after a short winter break and is an Eden in which to wander and get lost.  At its center there is a pyramid-shaped chapel, symbolizing the ancient link between mazes and Faith. This extraordinary architectural complex also has a rich exhibition and event programme throughout the year which greatly enhances the visit for lovers of mystery, art, literature and more, as it delves into different themes related to the passions that guided the activity and life of Franco Maria Ricci.

The Maze is the result of a promise made to writer Jorge Luis Borges

The cultural park, created in 2015 on a project by Franco Maria Ricci together with architects Pier Carlo Bontempi and Davide Dutto, is an eight-hectare hamlet where time seems to stand still, a place to be discovered and rediscovered over, and over again. Spending an hour, or a day at the Maze of the Masone is a unique experience that can begin by entering the labyrinth composed of more than 300,000 bamboo plants of 20 different species. This is the result of a promise Franco Maria Ricci made in 1977 to the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, who had always been fascinated by the symbol of the maze, both in a metaphysical key and as a metaphor for the human condition. 

The Maze is three kilometres long and made of 300,000 tall bamboo plants

The Maze of the Masone is beautiful, mysterious and intriguing, and to walk through this more than three-kilometre-long tangle of twists and blind alleys is an experience for the eyes and mind that stimulates reflection and creativity. Some find the exit immediately, while other lovers of mystery get lost among the tall bamboo canes, and the experience at the Maze of the Masone does not end there. There is also the Museoche museum that houses the vast art collection of Franco Maria Ricci and narrates his extraordinary eclecticism. 

The collection of Franco Maria Ricci counts some 400 works of art

The thematic collection in the museum consists of some four hundred works, including paintings, sculptures and objets d'art, ranging from great 17th-century to neoclassical sculpture, from still lifes to Napoleonic busts, from Romantic to popular 19th-century painting. But it is not just art and nature, as there is also good food and relaxation in the Ristorante dei 12 Monacone where dishes created by chef Andrea Nizzi blend tradition and innovation with the flavours of Parma’s cuisine and modern culinary and preservation techniques. There is also the Bistrò for a quick lunch or snack, and the gastronomy shop where you can buy excellent and selected local foods and wines. 

Two luxurious suites for an added frisson of excitement

And for those lovers of mystery who don't want to leave the Maze yet, and want to experience an added frisson of excitement during their visit, the two luxurious suites with works of art and refined furnishings, are an invitation to enjoy a unique and evocative stay in this extraordinary complex. 

Iglesias, on the south-west coast of Sardinia is a handsome city with diverse cultural and natural attractions. Perhaps less well known than other tourist resorts, it is perfect for many different types of holidays: seaside, cultural and trekking.  

The coast is dominated by rugged headlands and the hinterland beaten by paths along which one comes across evidence of the near and distant past like the mines that existed in the area from the early 1900s up to the 1960s.

“We have many famous industrial archaeology sites that are unique – this was the oldest mining basin in Europe - and for some years now the municipality has been focusing a lot on their experiential enhancement not only for the beauty of the area but also because they tell story of the identity of a community,” says Mauro Usai, mayor of Iglesias.  “It takes time to visit our territory, but there are many sites that are worth visiting, and so we have set out different itineraries. The best way is along the Camino Minerario di Santa Barbara mining trail, which is to say the historical and mining paths that the miners used to take to go to work.”

This 500-kilometre loop, along pathways, mule tracks and dirt and paved roads, has been divided into 30 stages, each of about 16 kilometres. Crossing towns and villages it is suitable for walkers and also for bikers, while those who prefer to admire the landscapes from the sea can do so by boat.  

The city of Iglesias itself has a fascinating story that goes back thousands of years, from Roman times through the Pisan domination and then under Spanish rule when it got the name Iglesias, the city of churches. 

“Many of our visitors are from France, England, and Europe, because Iglesias can be enjoyed at any time of year.  So even when the temperatures are lower it is still possible to experience the mountains and the coasts, drawing many visitors in the low season,” adds Mayor Usai.  Another very popular time of year is Easter and the Holy Week to see some of the most fascinating processions in Italy. When visitors arrive in Cagliari airport – there are many flights both from Milan and Rome daily as well as from other European cities – or disembark in the post of Cagliari there is a train that brings them to Iglesias.  “This service is offered free of charge, and we have a wide choice of accommodation with many bed and breakfasts nestled in the heart of the city.”

 

Montepulciano, nestled in a bucolic setting in the Valdichiana Senese in southern Tuscany, is a true oasis of peace with vineyards as far as the eye can see, and all the charm of a classic medieval Tuscan hill town. It is also the land where Nobile di Montepulciano is produced, the famous red wine with the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG), esteemed by connoisseurs and wine enthusiasts the world over.   

Mayor Michele Angiolini says the town and its surrounding area draw visitors looking for tranquility and relaxation, and that they also come to stay and take the waters in its spas towns,  Montpulciano Terme, San Casciano dei Bagni and Chianciano Terme.

 

“Visitors are very attracted by our nature and also by our foods and wines. We have a wide range of accommodation in both hotels and non-hotel facilities. Post-Covid the hotels, which are mostly in Chianciano Terme, suffered somewhat while alternative facilities were in strong demand.” 

Many of the cultural events organized in the area are concentrated in the summer months,

“but our Christmas in Montepulciano draws thousands of people from November right through to the end of the holiday season,” said Mayor Angiolini. “During Covid prime foreign markets like the US and Russia dropped considerably, “but we took advantage of those months to work, plan and invest in promoting our region, and this proved to have been a good move as it led to a rise in domestic visitors and also boosted arrivals from proximity markets.” 

 

Travel is back! And we will be present at the ITB Berlin from 7 to 9 March 2023, as a Media Partner of the world’s biggest and best travel show, with a special print edition of ItaliAbsolutely. 

Meeting the world’s top travel providers

This year's ITB Berlin, which is travel industry’s leading travel and tourism meeting place, will once again be the go-to place to meet the world’s top destinations, tour operators, airlines, hotels, cruise lines and travel providers from around the globe.

Get your print copy of ItaliAbsolutely in the International Media area

You can find the Travel Quotidiano Group and ItaliAbsolutely in the International Media area. So drop by to say hello, and to pick up your copy of the special ITB 2023 print edition of www.italiabsolutely.com, Italy’s only English-language B2B  website showcasing the best of Italy. 

We speak to over 90,000 Italy travel specialists worldwide

Our website speaks online daily to travel specialists worldwide, and our weekly Newsletter reaches 90,000 global Italy sellers.  We look forward to meeting many of them, as well as old and new partners and friends in Berlin. 

“ItaliAbsolutely on Tour” in Europe, Canada and the US in 2023

And don’t miss this chance to hear  from us about the exciting ItaliAbsolutely on Tour meets planned in Copenhagen, Hamburg, Toronto, New York and Chicago later this year.  And you can also register for the ItaliAbsolutely fam trips we are organizing to showcase the best of Italy to selected global buyers.

Click here to read the Special Edition!

Be our guest on a Fam Trip to Italy! Subscribe now!

Cutting-edge Hilton Rome EUR La Lama has just opened in the Eternal City’s business district, the first Hilton inside the city of Rome.

“Hilton Rome EUR La Lama has that unmistakable touch of Italianity”

“At last Rome has something different that goes beyond the hospitality offered by the large hotels in the center. This new Hilton is also a large hotel, but it has a true Italian soul, and that unmistakable touch of Italianity. By opening La Lama Hilton is adding another 439 rooms to the Eternal City, and we are the first Hilton inside Rome, as the other property is located at Fiumicino airport." says Paolo Bellè, cluster general manager of Icarus, the company that owns the new property.

Elegant design interiors and a convivial atmosphere

Hilton Rome EUR La Lama is a futuristic, slim black transparent glass “box,” 130 metres long, 30 wide and 16 floors high, designed by Roman architect Massimiliano Fuksas. It has interiors with original art works and unique details, from the white and black marble in the hall to the warm colors in the lounge and restaurant and on the floors with the guest rooms and suites. The atmosphere is colorful and convivial, and there are meeting spaces with modular rooms and state-of-the-art technology.

Two restaurants, six suites and a dual-level Presidential Suite

Panoramic glass-sided elevators glide up to the upper floors opening onto balconies with glass walls from which to admire the lobby from above, and in the guest rooms the curtains, lighting and air conditioning are actioned by the arrival and departure of guests. “All rooms have a king or two queen beds, dark parquet flooring and decorative coffered ceilings inspired by those found in old Roman homes, while the Art Deco style features in mirrors and lamps. The dual-level Presidential Suite on the top two floors is flanked by another six suites, with the second restaurant and the spa and fitness centre on the 15^th level,” says hotel manager Matteo Cappannari.

“Guests from all over the world will get Italian-style pampering”

"Our hotel is next door to the La Nuvola Congress Center. We were designed as a single complex, and our commercial-congressional vocation is strong, but La Lama also wants a life of its own," Bellè continues. "The centre of Rome is a short taxi ride away, so we can satisfy even the most demanding guest, and we are an exciting new attraction for the EUR neighbourhood.  The Hilton Honors program currently has over 140 million members and American guests always feel at home in a Hilton. Now at Hilton Rome EUR La Lama, Americans and guests from all over the world will feel at home, and they will get Italian-style pampering."

Lecce, a little town in Puglia in southern Italy, has ranked higher than many of the world’s best loved romantic hotspots according to the popular social media video-sharing app TikTok. When Discover Cars analyzed the number of TikTok views on the hashtags of popular destinations that appeal for their romance, it ranked the world’s top 23 romantic getaways. And the little Italian town placed 9th, beating out many larger and more famous tourist destinations.

With a staggering 272,202,044 combined views Lecce, which has fewer than 100,000 inhabitants, came in after favourite boltholes like Lausanne, the luxury resort town on Lake Geneva in Switerland, and Cambodia’s Siem Reap with its famous Angkor Wat temples. But the surprise was that the charming little Italian town, with its stunning Baroque architecture, scored higher than mega favourites such as Menorca in Spain, Paros in Greece and Antalya in Turkey. www.discovercars.com/blog/most-romantic-locations-tiktok 

The entrance to Eitch Borromini, an ancient residence housed in a building designed and built by the great architect Borromini between 1654 and 1659, is behind Rome’s historic Piazza Navona square.

A hotel overlooking Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers

One of the Eitch Borromini's main features is the panoramic view from both the breakfast room and many of the guestrooms that overlook Piazza Navona, and in particular Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers, and the skyline of downtown Rome: from the Pantheon dome to St. Peter's Basilica.

A restaurant and a cocktail bar for private events

The same view is also shared by the Restaurant Terrazza Borromini, a unique area on the fourth floor in rooms embellished with Bernini's frescoes, where the Borromini Art Gallery is located, overlooking Piazza Navona, and which has tables also outside almost suspended over the square. The restaurant menu features modern Roman cuisine and the cocktail bar is open for private events.

The first floor of the palace provides access to the Pamphilj family's private library, which is famous for the quantity and rarity of its volumes and manuscripts, and for the fresco on the vault painted by Francesco Cozza.

Views of the square, of Roman palaces, and of a medieval tower

The rooms of different types range from the Single with a queen bed to the Classic, up to the Superior Suite, Deluxe Suite and Executive Suite with a private terrace. Some have views of Piazza Navona or the domes, bell towers and iconic palaces of Rome and others over Via di Santa Maria dell'Anima, with glimpses of Tor Millina, a medieval tower with Guelph battlements. 

The rooms are all different and have all modern comforts 

Each room is different, given the different uses the building has had down the centuries. Refined, intimate and tastefully furnished, they have extra-comfortable beds and Etro courtesy kits, minibars, courtesy water, electric kettle with tea, coffee and herbal teas, bathrobe and slippers, safe, flat-screen TV with Sky decoder and free Wifi. 

Toscana Resort Castelfalfi has a new general manager with Roberto Protezione take over all hospitality-related activities. The complex provides a variety of lodging options, including rooms, suites, and villas, for a relaxing vacation in beautiful natural surroundings with various restaurants and Tuscany's largest golf course.

20 years of experience in luxury hospitality

Protezione has nearly 20 years of experience in luxury hospitality in Italy and abroad. Prior to leading the Castelfalfi team, he was general manager of Belmond Castello di Casole for five years. Previously he worked in the UAE at the St. Regis Saadiyat Island and the Westin Golf Resort in Abu Dhabi. His career in the industry began in revenue management at Starwood, first at the St. Regis Grand and the Excelsior in Rome and then at the St. Regis in Florence.

“This is a period of significant development for the destination”

“Working in a reality like Castelfalfi is an exciting challenge,” Protezione says. “I am grateful to the owners for seeing me as a potential ally during this period of significant development for the destination. I am confident that my knowledge of the area gained over the years, as well as my previous international experience, will help to raise the standards of service and hospitality, ensuring guests get the most out of the estate's potential.”