The first Auberge Resorts Collection in Italy is the 83-room Collegio alla Querce Hotel in Florence. 

A wonderful natural setting

The former educational institution has been converted and is so called because of the centuries-old trees that shade its terraced gardens. This 16th century property stands on a hill, immersed in an avenue lined with cypress trees. The renovation was overseen by the Spanish architecture studio Esteva i Esteva, while the Florentine team ArchFlorence designed the interiors. Designed by landscape architect Franchesca Watson, the gardens feature an inviting swimming pool, flanked by a bar and a restaurant set among the oak trees.

The La Quercia Residence has seven guestrooms

The hotel has 49 rooms, 28 suites and six grand suites, including the La Quercia Residence with seven guestrooms which can be reserved in its entirety. The property also includes two living rooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a panoramic terrace and a private whirlpool tub. There are four restaurants and bars, as well as customi<ed culinary experiences, including mixology courses with Tuscan olive oil, bitters preparation, coffee tasting, fresh pasta lessons guided by the chef and market-to-table experiences. Also present is Aelia, the hotel's Auberge Spa, which thanks to an exclusive partnership with Furtuna Skin, offers a wellness experience based on natural luxury products made with ingredients from sustainable sources.

A selection of areas for events  

The estate's spaces are also available for all kinds of events: from weddings on the Arco terrace to outdoor receptions in the gardens, to more intimate gatherings in the refectory's private dining room. Events can also take place under the vaults of the recently restored Chapel or in the setting of the Theatre which has a stage and a wraparound balcony. While for business meetings the Noce and Alloro rooms have private and equipped areas. Completing Collegio alla Querce’s MICE areas are the adjacent rooms of the Conservatory Library that can accommodate private meetings.

Welcome to the West of Sicily: a journey through history, nature and flavours

The province of Trapani, at the western tip of Sicily, is a land full of charm where history, nature, and traditions intertwine in a breathtaking landscape. The capital, with its historic center and famous salt pans, is the ideal starting point to explore unique places such as Erice, a historical village with spectacular views, and Marsala, renowned for its wine and the Stagnone Reserve.

Among the archaeological wonders, Selinunte and Segesta stand out, while nature lovers can discover the Zingaro Reserve and the enchanting Egadi Islands. The journey is completed with extraordinary gastronomy, featuring authentic flavours like seafood couscous and Trapanese pesto busiate.

A tour of Trapani is an immersion into timeless beauty and traditions to savour.

Join us for an unforgettable journey, a fam trip arranged for professionals specializing in outdoor, green tourism and well-being, through the heart of the West of Sicily: a treasure trove of breathtaking landscapes, rich traditions and authentic Sicilian hospitality.

The province of Trapani, where our journey will unfold, will lead us to hilltop towns where history and culture blend and to coastal villages that thrive on age-old fishing traditions. Majestic nature reserves, golden sandy beaches and rugged cliffs provide a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, offering endless opportunities for exploration.

This exclusive fam trip consists of three distinct itineraries, each tailored to showcase the best of this enchanting territory. 

Five days to engage with local communities, visit natural and historical landmarks and take part in extraordinary culinary experiences.

We look forward to welcoming you to the West of Sicily and sharing its wonders with you!

SOLD OUT

FAM TRIP 8-12 MAY 2025

WELCOME TO THE WEST OF SICILY

DATE: 8th - 12th May

There will be 3 itineraries for 3 groups, each consisting of 5 buyers.

The three groups will stay in the following locations:

• Group A: Castellammare del Golfo
• Group B: Erice
• Group C: Mazara del Vallo

The programme for the first two days and the last day is the same for all three groups.

On the 3rd and 4th days, the three groups will follow different itineraries.

PROGRAMME

Day 1

• Arrival of participants at Palermo airport
• Transfer and check in at hotel/B&B. Free time
• Panoramic tour and free afternoon
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 2

• Breakfast
• Transfer to Marsala – Baglio Oneto
• Welcome coffee
• Day of meetings with local operators (TOs, hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, etc.) at the workshop
• Lunch
• In the afternoon visit to the Ettore e Infersa Salt Pans
• Transfer by boat to the Island of Mothia
• Dinner, return to the hotel and overnight stay

Day 3

Group A:

• Breakfast;
• Transfer to the Zingaro Nature Reserve and the Scopello Tonnara (tuna fishery)
• Traditional lunch
• Transfer to the Segesta Archaeological Park
• Dinner and overnight stay

Group B:

• Breakfast
• Walking tour of the historic centre of Erice with a visit to the main cultural sites; demonstration of local crafts (ceramic pottery, weaving of Erice rugs); tasting of convent sweets in a historic pastry shop
• Transfer through the hills and rural landscapes of Misiliscemi to the Saline di Trapani e Paceco Nature Reserve
• Lunch and visit to the Salt Museum
• Walking tour of the fishing port of Trapani and visit to the historic centre
• Dinner and overnight stay

Group C:

• Breakfast
• Transfer to Gibellina, Italian Capital of Contemporary Art 2026
• Visit to Cretto di Burri, a rare example of Land Art in Italy. Guided visits to the Museum of Contemporary Art  – MAC and the Orestiadi Foundation – the Museum of Mediterranean Weaves
• Traditional lunch at the Orestiadi Winery
• Transfer to Salemi, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 4

Group A:

• Breakfast
• Transfer to San Vito Lo Capo and boat trip
• Afternoon transfer to Buseto Palizzolo and walking tour of the Bosco Scorace
• Dinner with typical local busiate pasta
• Overnight stay

Group B:

• Breakfast
• Morning in Custonaci: guided tour of the Sanctuary of Maria Santissima di Custonaci and the Mangiapane cave
• Light lunch based on typical products in a natural setting
• Afternoon in Valderice: visit to the Antico Molino for a cooking class with the preparation of cassatelle di ricotta or cassata siciliana and a final sweet wine tasting
• Dinner and overnight stay

Group C:

• Breakfast
• Mazara del Vallo: visit to the Satiro Museum and a walk through the Casbah
• Lunch in a Tunisian house with a couscous tasting
• In the afternoon, wine and oil tasting at the Strade del Vino and cooking lesson with traditional Sicilian recipes followed by dinner with the dishes prepared during the workshop
• Overnight stay

Day 5

• Breakfast
• Transfer to Palermo Airport for your return flight
• End of our services

Salerno is a crossroads that appeals for its beauty, culture and history said tourism councillor Alessandro Ferrara at the recent Mediterranean Tourism Exchange in Naples.

“Tourism can be a fundamental driving force for development”

Salerno has a wide range of tourist attractions and an exceptional blend of history, art, culture, good food and wines, as well as warm hospitality.  Adding to which there is the airport, maritime station and high-speed railway making the city easily reached from anywhere in Italy and the world. It is also in a truly privileged position close to the Amalfi Coast, Paestum and Pompeii. “The city of Salerno and the whole of the Campania region are increasingly well-known tourist destinations worldwide,- said Alessandro Ferrara. – But we still have to grow, and tourism can be a fundamental driving force for development.” 

What is the profile of the typical tourist who chooses Salerno?

There isn't a specific profile of the tourist who visits our city. We welcome tourists from Italy, Europe, the Americas and Asia and generally we have more foreign visitors than Italians. As well as visiting Salerno, the city is also chosen as a base for excursions to the two the Amalfi Coast and the splendid Cilento.  

Was 2024 a good year for tourism, and what markets are you looking at? 

“In addition to our natural beauty, a major boost is provided by our infrastructure system. Since it opened the Salerno-Costa d'Amalfi Airport has posted numbers that have gone well beyond even the rosiest  forecasts. In addition to this, the new underground railway is under construction, as well as high-speed rail and road and sea links. All this in an area of incomparable natural beauty, with a vast wealth of historical, cultural, landscape, architectural and food and wine heritage, which makes us optimistic for further growth in the future.”  Yes, we are looking at international markets, first and foremost the European market. But we are also working with American and Asian markets, and various contacts are also underway with China and areas of the Middle East. 

How much does organized tourism contribute?

It represents a fundamental segment in various aspects.  With a lot of coaches arriving in the city at weekends and then there are the cruise passengers, who are organised in groups with guides. There are some tour operators in Rome that include a guided tour of Salerno in their packages, and the travel by train. In addition to heritage tourism, there is also the promotion of the city based on word of mouth, which plays a significant role – and it is free of charge.

Italy is universally recognized as one of the world's richest nations in terms of cultural heritage. With 62 UNESCO World Heritage sites, it holds the global record for the highest number of locations of exceptional historical, artistic, and archaeological significance.

BonusFinder Italia, the online casino comparison platform, conducted an in-depth analysis to identify the most culturally rich regions of Italy, basing the ranking on four key factors: the number of museums, theaters, archaeological sites and universities.

Topping the list is Lazio which has 94 museums, 95 universities, 157 theaters, and 20 archaeological sites, and stands out for its extraordinary artistic and academic landscape. Second is Tuscany, the heart of the Renaissance, with 70 universities and 8 archaeological sites, and Campania takes third place with showstoppers such as Pompeii and Herculaneum. 

At the lower end of the ranking, Friuli-Venezia Giulia lands in 18th place, with gems like Miramare Castle. Molise, which is 19th, has Campobasso and Isernia serving as cultural hubs, and the Valle d’Aosta rounds out the list, boasting medieval castles, the Roman ruins of Aosta, and the iconic Fort Bard.

Pamela McCourt Francescone
Executive Editor

Sina Hotels’ Milan boutique hotel The Gray has won a tender for a municipal building.

The property overlooks the Vittorio Emanuele II gallery

In Via San Raffaele, a stone's throw from the Duomo the building, owned by the municipality of Milan located inside the Ciro Fontana gallery, overlooks the Vittorio Emanuele II gallery. The Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper reports that the Florentine hotel group, led by the president of Federalberghi, Bernabò Bocca, won the tender thanks to a bid for €43 million or €1.2 million per year. Given the investment needed to convert the building into a hotel, the duration of the concession has been set at 36 years, instead of the more traditional 18, to guarantee Sina an adequate amortization period.

30 new rooms, public areas and a spa

The building, which is under the protection of the Fine Arts and is on ten floors, will be an extension of the adjacent Sina The Gray, with some additional thirty new rooms and public spaces, as well as a restaurant and a wellness area. In addition to Sina Hotels the Aries Group also participated in the tender. The starting bid was €1.150 million per year, equal to about €550 per square metre.

A new era is taking off for Genoa airport with the 19 March opening of the new East Wing for an investment of €15 million and after 18 months of work.

Serving three million passengers

The total surface area is 5,500 square metres, of which 550 are destined for a new commercial area with Duty Free and a multi-product sales point.  The new East Wing allows the Cristoforo Colombo Airport to boost its potential capacity to three million passengers and is the first important step in a broader restyling plan that, after 12/18 months of work and a further €12.6 million of investment, will completely redesign the face of the airport by the end of 2026. The new spaces also house the four security control lines equipped with the latest generation of automatic baggage inspection machinery, three new boarding gates, 250 seats (a third of which are equipped with power sockets for electronic devices) and a new boarding pier with access to the apron, which is fully air-conditioned and equipped with a lift to access the runway.

“Offering travellers the best possible experience”

“The new terminal,- said Enrico Musso, president of Genoa Airport, -has been designed and built to offer travellers the best possible experience and allows us to increase the potential capacity of the airport to a maximum of three million passengers. An ambitious goal that we are confident we can achieve thanks to the airport's strong growth potential linked to the increase in tourist flows and the huge investments underway in our area.”

The check-in desks will increase to 22 from the current 12

The restyling work will be carried out while the airport remains fully operational, and when the work is finished, the total surface area of Cristoforo Colombo airport will be 20,000 square metres (+38%), of which 1,200 will be given over to commercial areas the number of check-in desks will increase to 22, from the current 12, the number of gates to 10,from the current nine, of which three will be in the new East Wing, the number of aircraft parking spaces in front of the terminal will increase to 8 (+2) and the new lounge will be on  200 square metres (+50).

The new Genoa Airport railway station

In addition to the €27.6 million of investments in the terminal, the airport will benefit from further important infrastructural investments, with a total value of about €80 million, destined to significantly modify the accessibility and connectivity of the airport with the territory. In particular, the construction of the new Genova Aeroporto railway station and a pedestrian walkway with a moving walkway is planned to connect the airport to the new station in just six minutes, thus connecting the airport to the railway network. 

Palermo Airport has posted a rise in foreign arrivals and announced new international routes.

The new year started with a positive trend

The beginning of the year has been marked by growth for Palermo airport which, in the first ten days of January 2025, recorded a 9% increase in transit passengers and a 5.5% increase in flights compared to the same period in 2024. “The start of the year confirms a positive trend for our airport,- says Vito Riggio, CEO of Gesap, the company that manages Palermo airport. -Every effort must be made to make travel increasingly safe and comfortable.”

Direct United flights from New York Newark

For the Falcone Borsellino airport 2024 was a record year in terms of passenger traffic, with 8.9 million passengers, 10% more than in 2023, and with international traffic at 30% (2,400,000) of the total number of travellers. The summer promises to bring further news as United will introduce  direct flights with New York (Newark Airport) from May, while Neos has confirmed summer flights from New York JFK.

easyJet, Condor and Volotea are adding flights 

Three new routes have been announced so far by easyJet: Lisbon, the only connection from Sicily, Palma de Mallorca and Bristol, while from 2026 - but flights are already on sale - Jet2 has opened Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle. Swiss, on the other hand, is adding an extra daily flight on the overnight route. And from May:Condor will fly to Rome Fiumicino, while Volotea will add flights to Heraklion/Crete and Bilbao this summer.

Aiming to close 2025 with half a million passengers

Last December ended with over half a million passengers (552,247), +8.56% compared to the same month in 2023 (508,701 and there were some 21,600 passengers from 23 December 2024 to 7 January 2025 compared to the same period in 2023/24. For 2025, a 10% increase in passengers is expected which, according to traffic estimates prepared by Gesap's planning and control office, will close at around half a million transit passengers.

After the success of the 2024 season, Dimensione Sicilia again proposes Sicilian Secrets tours and gulets to the Aeolian Islands.

Showcase the authenticity and beauty of Sicily

 “This year is also starting very well,- says Julian Zappalà, general manager of Dimensione Sicilia, - and this encourages us to continue offering itineraries that showcase the authenticity and beauty of Sicily. The strength of our flagship product, Sicilian Secrets, is the regularity of the weekly departures, which allows us to offer group tours designed to guarantee a peaceful and flexible travel experience, scheduled every week from 8 March to 18 November.”

30 destinations and more than 70 guaranteed departures 

The Sicilian Secrets 2025 programme is even more extensive and varied, with a calendar that includes 12 different itineraries, over 30 destinations and more than 70 guaranteed departures. The tours are the perfect combination of art, culture, tradition and extraordinary landscapes, confirming Dimensione Sicilia's commitment to creating authentic and quality experiences to discover every aspect of the island.

“Our partner agencies can count on dedicated conditions and constant support”

“An undisputed plus of many of our itineraries,- adds Zappalà, -is the private experience at Cantine Florio, which we have been offering since before the boom of the famous TV series. It is a truly special added value for this product segment, and offers our customers exclusive moments making the experience even more authentic.” To complete the Sicilian Secrets offer, we have also added the winter departures already published, with four special itineraries dedicated to the bank holidays of the Immaculate Conception, New Year's Eve, Saint Agatha and Carnival. And we always reserve special attention for our partner agencies, who can count on dedicated conditions and constant support.”

An 8-day cruise of the Aeolian Islands 

“The success of our tours has motivated us to invest also in the nautical sector, with a product that has also become one of our strengths: the gulet cruise to the Aeolian Islands, with guaranteed departures every Saturday from 31 May to 27 September.”  Available both in the cabin charter and the exclusive formula, the cruise offers an 8-day experience to discover the seven pearls of the Mediterranean. On board, guests can enjoy cabins equipped with every comfort, a dedicated chef and the chance to admire the eruptions of Stromboli directly from the sea.