The 2025 Florence Biennale will illuminate Tuscany’s capital from 18 to 26 October.

A meeting point for global creativity

Florence’s Fortezza da Basso, the historic Renaissance fortress now used as a major exhibition and conference center, will host the much-anticipated Florence Biennale which this year explores the evocative theme The Sublime Essence of Light and Darkness. This 15th edition of this international contemporary art and design exhibition, running from 18 to 26 October, promises to be yet again a dynamic dialogue between photography, sculpture, design, and cinema, set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Renaissance capital. A meeting point for global creativity the Biennale continues to celebrate independent vision, bringing together artists, cultures, and generations from all over the world.

Special projects and notable guests

The 2025 edition invites visitors to reflect on the dualities of human experience - light and shadow, good and evil, the visible and the hidden - through a programme of exhibitions and installations. Special projects and notable guests include internationally acclaimed designers, sculptors, and photographers, and headline two icons: Patricia Urquiola and Tim Burton. On October 23, Urquiola will receive the Leonardo da Vinci Lifetime Achievement Award for Design and present her installation Transitions. 

A celebration of Tim Burton

On October 21, Tim Burton will be celebrated with the Lorenzo il Magnifico Lifetime Achievement Award, presenting his personal exhibition Tim Burton: Light and Darkness. Featuring more than 50 works, the show is an interplay of light and shadow, dreams and nightmares through installations, drawings, three-dimensional pieces, and visionary environments.

Staying at the FH55 Grand Hotel Mediterraneo 

Other participants include designers, photographers while cinema lovers will enjoy special screenings. Visitors to the 2025 Florence Biennale can stay in the FH55 Grand Hotel Mediterraneo. Combining authentic hospitality with timeless Florentine elegance, this contemporary 4-star hotel on the Lungarno is ideally located for exploring the city and its main attractions, and offers spacious areas, making it perfect for both leisure and business stays.

Today, 27 September, is World Tourism Day; how does this celebration resonate with Italy?

Tourism accounts for over 13% of Italy’s GDP 

World Tourism Day will be celebrated globally today, highlighting the cultural, economic, and social value of travel. For Italy, a country where tourism accounts for over 13% of the GDP, this celebration will serve as a reminder of how crucial it is for all stakeholders in the industry to address existing challenges while continuing to enhance and elevate the visitor experience.

Italy welcomed over 71 million visitors in 2024

Italy’s landscapes, from the canals of Venice to the Amalfi Coast and from Rome’s Colosseum to the sun-drenched beaches of Sardinia and Sicily, drew over 71 million visitors last year, and projections indicate this number is destined to go on growing. Tourism supports millions of Italian jobs, especially in areas reliant on art, food, and culture. It also sustains local crafts, agritourism and hospitality, enriching communities and preserving natural wonders and historic towns.

Balancing visitor demand with environmental protection

The theme of World Tourism Day 2025 “Tourism and Peace,” underscores travel’s role in fostering intercultural understanding and sustainable development. In Italy the celebration should be seen as a time to ponder on how best to balance visitor demand with environmental protection, especially in destinations like the Cinque Terre, Venice, Florence and Rome that have fallen victim to over-tourism

A global ambassador of goodwill, traditions and hospitality 

Italy has long been, and still is, at the forefront of innovation in many fields, and is increasingly promoting slow tourism, eco-friendly travel, and lesser-known destinations in an effort to ensure it maintains a balance between financial sustainability and ethical tourism practices. As the world honors tourism today, Italy can proudly embrace its legacy as a timeless destination and a global ambassador of goodwill, traditions and hospitality.

Air France is to operate 5 weekly Paris Charles De Gaulle-Verona flights also in winter. 

Five weekly flights in winter 2025-2026

The planned capacity on the route, served by Embraer E190s, will be increased to five flights a week, excluding Mondays and Thursdays, from 1 November 2025 to 28 March 2026. "The extension of these flights for the 2025-2026 winter season, is the result of the great response we have had from customers, who use Verona airport - comments Fabio Andaloro, sales director Italy Air France-KLM. -We are pleased to continue these services, that give access from our Paris Charles De Gaulle hub to a large number of European and intercontinental destinations, including  New York, San Paolo, Johannesburg, Dubai and Mauritius.”

A further boost for Verona’s Catullo Airport 

"The extension of the Paris Charles De Gaulle flight to the winter season strengthens Verona’s Catullo airport's flight operations, meeting the demand for continuity beyond the summer season. For the airport's passengers it means not just easy access to the French capital but also being able to count on Air France's vast network of flights year-round to destinations all over the world," adds Camillo Bozzolo, Save Group aviation development director.

Roots-IN 2025: Matera as Heritage Tourism Capital  

There are events that are not just trade fairs, but become laboratories of the future. Among these is Roots-IN, the Heritage Tourism Exchange that will return to Matera for its fourth edition from 18 to 19 November 2025. For two days the city of the Sassi will be transformed into an international marketplace of relationships, opportunities and stories, with buyers from five continents and Italian sellers ready to present the best travel experiences linked to identity and origins.

A marketplace that generates opportunities

Roots-IN is not a fair like any other. It is a specialized marketplace, created to connect supply and demand in a rapidly expanding segment: heritage tourism. A sector that looks to Italian-descendants around the world - millions of people who cultivate deep ties with Italy - and that represents an extraordinary opportunity for growth for tourism.The heart of the event is the B2B workshop, with an agenda of targeted meetings for Italian sellers and exhibitors: 14 appointments in two days, five of which directly chosen by the operators with the most interesting buyers. Short, intense appointments that focus on being concrete.

Buyers from five continents

The strength of Roots-IN lies in its international dimension. More than 70 buyers will arrive in Matera from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States: key intercontinental markets for heritage tourism, with Italian communities and family stories that cross oceans with a shared desire to rediscover one's origins on an authentic journey. For Italian sellers - tour operators, DMCs, hospitality facilities, organizations and associations - it will be an opportunity to present tailor-made packages and experiences, built around traditions, landscapes and memories that speak directly to the hearts of Italian descendants.

The strength of the institutional network

Roots-IN is promoted by APT Basilicata, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Tourism, the Basilicata Region, and the Municipality of Matera. A network that testifies to the strategic value of the project, which is part of the “2025 Year of Italian Heritage”, the national programme that aims to transform the link with Italian communities around the world into a lever of cultural and economic development. "With Roots-IN,-  underlines the director general of APT Basilicata - we give voice to a form of tourism that starts from people and their stories. Basilicata thus becomes a national laboratory, capable of welcoming and enhancing the need for identity and belonging of the new generations of Italian descendants.”

A digital platform for perfect matching

Roots-IN is not only physical, but also digital. From the end of September participants will have a networking platform at their disposal to create their profile, view buyer and seller profiles, initiate chats, and download the appointment agenda and entry badge, preparing the Matera meetings in the best possible way and guaranteeimg accurate business matching.

Matera, an ideal setting

It could only be Matera to host the Exchange. The city of the Sassi, UNESCO World Heritage Site and European Capital of Culture 2019, is today a symbol of resilience and tourism innovation. Walking around the city during Roots-IN means immersing oneself in a place that tells of the strength of its roots, its ability to reinvent itself and the pride of a community projected towards the future.

Registration open until 30 September

Participation in the Exchange is open to qualified sellers - tour operators, incoming agencies, DMCs, consortia, hospitality facilities, cultural associations - who wish to promote products and services linked to heritage tourism. The registration fee is €300 (VAT not applicable), to be paid by bank transfer to APT Basilicata. Registration will close on 30 September 2025, with registration exclusively online on the official website: www.roots-in.com/registrazione-seller-2025.

A growing community

Since 2021 Roots-IN has facilitated hundreds of meetings, contributing to the creation of innovative tourist packages and strengthening the dialogue between Italy and Italian communities around the world. The 4th edition aims at consolidating these results and expanding the community of heritage tourism, a sector that interweaves culture, economy and human relations. Roots-IN is not just an Exchange. It is a collective journey that starts from personal stories and becomes a development project for entire territories. Matera, once again, will be its beating heart.

As tourism continues to shift, travelers are no longer driven solely by basic needs; they now look to their holidays to fulfill deeper aspirations and values.  We take it for granted that tourism must be environmentally sustainable because, during the Covid pandemic we rediscovered that we live on a planet that welcomes us but, at the same time, governs us. This is why ENIT is committed to sharing best practices in Italy and abroad, leveraging social media as a key channel. To emphasize how deeply this is already incorporated in the customer journey of our Italian holidaymakers, we carried out a study, holding ourselves accountable to this value as well.

ENIT further pursues a wide range of activities that allows it to position itself alongside its European counterparts on the subject of regenerative tourism thanks to the Smarties for SMEs project. And in this Jubilee year it is also developing the theme of spirituality and the impact this has on religious sites, as Italy invests in services aimed at shaping a more advanced offer for this type of tourist.

We remain certain, as we have always been, that tourism must be sustainable from an economic point of view, with a weight of 10.8% of the GDP,  without counting the supply chain, and employing over three million workers. Italian tourism revenues are growing steadily, especially internationally, and will exceed €54.2 billion in 2024. ENIT’s research covers this and much more, such as the results of the biggest sector event in Italy in 2025, the Global Summit of the World Travel & Tourism Council in Rome.

ENIT also focuses on tourism in Italy from the perspective of residents, because what we need today is social sustainability in which we are the most competitive. Thanks to our identity and authenticity, we do not need to invent a narrative, all we have to do is share our tangible and intangible heritage. In our art cities, of course, which are major hubs for international markets, but also in our inland areas which contribute so significantly to our Italian character which is so sought after and loved around the world. Here too, we are strengthening our focus on historic residences, which embody a heritage that bears witness to this very story.

But tourism is also avant-garde, and we are ready to explore opportunities and new frontiers in the field of AI, virtual reality, augmented reality and communication. To conclude, as we usually do ENIT provides the numbers, analyzes the sector and the season as well as providing information and current trends to international markets. It also looks ahead to the near future to provide, as far as possible, support to businesses, operators and institutions, and to jointly develop a sustainable, accessible, regenerative, participatory and innovative form of tourism.



Advertorial

New, big news for Delta Air Lines' Italian network, which will add seasonal JFK New York flights to Olbia in Sardinia for summer 2026.

New flights chosen by SkyMiles passengers and employees

The new destination is the result of the Route Race vote launched by the company, which looked at the choices of SkyMiles member passengers and airline employees. Over five days of voting almost 150,000 people expressed their preference, leading to the new entries of Olbia and Malta.

Four weekly Boeing 767-300ER services

“With the new flights to Malta and Sardinia we continue to offer our passengers more choice and unique destinations, which until now have never been served by a direct flight from the United States,- said Paul Baldoni, Delta's senior vice president of network planning. -Now we can say that our network is not only built for our most loyal customers, but also forged by them.” The New York-Sardinia flights, operating from 21 May 2026, will be operated with a Boeing 767-300ER with four types of cabins: Delta One®, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort and Delta Main. In Delta One® passengers enjoy fully reclining seats, menus curated by top chefs and amenity-kits by Missoni, and can sample Taittinger champagne

“A historic and strategic milestone for our island”

"The launch of the Olbia-New York JFK direct flight is a historic and strategic milestone for our island. With this flight, Sardinia takes a further step forward, positioning itself globally and opening up new opportunities for tourism and economic growth, - says Silvio Pippobello, CEO of Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport. -At the same time, Sardinians will be able to fly non-stop to the United States, strengthening the link between our community and one of the most important international markets. This has been possible thanks to the constant support of the Sardinia Region, the aviation authorities, local administrations, trade associations and tourism stakeholders. 

The La Via delle Valli (The Way of the Valleys) is a new itinerary of 50 Alpine valleys from Madonna di Campiglio to Lake Idro. 

The project features 50 mapped itineraries

The major new tourism product that has taken shape in the heart of western Trentino is a unique itinerary designed for both international and domestic markets that meets the growing demand for outdoor experiences, authenticity, and a deeper connection with nature. Launched in summer 2025, the project features 50 mapped itineraries: from well-known classics such as the Val Brenta and the Val di Fumo, to less-traveled valleys like Val di Borzago or Val di Breguzzo, and even hidden gems still largely undiscovered by hikers, including the Val Cercen and Val di Leno. 

@campigliodolomiti - ph credits: Righi Manuel

A digital and print roadbook and notebook 

All routes are available in GPS format on campigliodolomiti.it, supported by an official roadbook and a traveller’s notebook, in both print and digital versions. Completing all 50 valleys will earn visitors the distinctive Villager’s Passport. For the trade, The Way of the Valleys is a versatile, year-round product. Routes are graded by difficulty, from family-friendly walks to challenging treks, and organized around five experiential themes: nature and sport, culture and traditions, gastronomy and taste, wellness and mindfulness, adventure and mountaineering. 

@campigliodolomiti - ph credits: Ballarin Damiano

Local ambassadors bring the valleys to life

The area itself lies within the biodiversity-rich Adamello Brenta Geopark, home to two Alpine treasures: Italy’s largest glacier and the UNESCO-listed Brenta Dolomites. The experience is further enriched by exceptional local ambassadors - mountain guides, forest wardens, chefs, and foragers – each of which brings their own valley to life through authentic storytelling.

A flagship destination for sustainable tourism

With this new product, Madonna di Campiglio and its surrounding valleys strengthen their positioning as a flagship destination for experiential and sustainable tourism, offering incoming operators tangible opportunities to build multi-day trips, themed packages, and tailor-made itineraries. The Way of the Valleys is an invitation to experience the mountains as a journey of transformation, a path to discover the land, and to rediscover yourself.

The FaceBoarding system at Milan Linate airport has been blocked by the privacy guarantor.

The decision is based on a EU Opinion

Today’s announcement came from Sea Milan Airports in an official note, which follows the step taken by the Italian Data Protection Authority. The decision follows a series of checks on the airport system and is mainly based on the non-binding Opinion 11/2024 of the European Committee for the Protection of Personal Data issued for a case considered similar.

A speedy way through security and boarding procedures

The FaceBoarding service operating at Milan Linate airport, allowed passengers to access security controls and boarding procedures through an innovative facial recognition system. It was on a voluntary basis, and was therefore suspended in compliance with the provisions of the guarantor. 

faceboarding

“A safer, faster and smoother travel experience”

“With FaceBoarding - says the note - Sea intended providing a service that reinforces airport security with a system that, respectful of all privacy regulations and available only to adults who request it and register for the service, guarantees and facilitates passengers by offering them a safer, faster and smoother travel experience, in line with innovative technological services.”

Sea aims to guarantee security and privacy

The company that manages Milan's airports, believing itself to be compliant with the reference standards, is actively collaborating with the Authority to clarify all aspects of data processing and to comply with the requests received. Sea's primary objective remains that of guaranteeing the security and privacy of passengers in line with current regulations.