Ryanair certainly could not miss the appointment with the opening of the Salerno-Costa d'Amalfi airport, which thus becomes the Irish low cost company's 32nd Italian airport.

“Milan Bergamo and Turin will continue into the 2024/25 winter season”

"Ryanair's new routes from London Stansted, Milan Bergamo and Turin to Salerno starting in August will lead to a significant growth in traffic and tourism,- said Ryanair's chief commercial officer, Jason McGuinness. -We have worked closely with GESAC's management and, confirming our commitment to Salerno and the entire Campania region, we are delighted to announce that the two domestic routes - Milan Bergamo and Turin - will continue into the 2024/25 winter season, offering more connectivity all year round, more tourism and more jobs.”

“An unjustifiable 30% increase in the municipal surtax”

The growth on Salerno - a privileged gateway to Sorrento and the resorts of the Amalfi Coast - however, points out the CCO, “is in stark contrast with the situation in Naples, where we have been forced to reduce connectivity due to the unjustifiable 30% increase in the municipal surtax on tourism. We once again ask Mayor Manfredi to urgently abolish this unjustifiable increase, as was done in Venice, to preserve connectivity, tourism and jobs in view of the winter season."

“Flights to Bergamo, Turin and London” 

"Thanks to Ryanair, the Salerno-Costa d'Amalfi airport consolidates its offer of flights both on the domestic segment, with Bergamo and Turin all year round, and on the international segment, with the boosting of connections with London,- said GESAC's managing director Roberto Barbieri. -This partnership is the result of intense teamwork aimed at satisfying the mobility needs of citizens and the many tourists wishing to visit our region, who can finally count on a second airport, with a stable flight offer that is destined to grow.”

Ryanair, easyJet and Volotea operate on the new airport

Following the lengthening of the runway, which allowed GESAC to sign agreements with the three main low-cost airlines on the domestic market, work continues with the second phase of the Development Plan. Among other investments this involves the further lengthening of the runway up to 2,200 metres and the construction, in 2026, of a new passenger terminal which will reflect the highest environmental standard. Ryanair thus joins easyJet and Volotea which in recent months have announced their entry into Salerno airport. EasyJet connects the airport with London, Gatwick.

23 international travel advisors joined an Italiabsolutely fam trip to Messina and Reggio Calabria.

Meetings, networking and local experiences

ItaliAbsolutely brought 20 international Italy travel specialist buyers to Messina and Reggio Calabria on a fam trip, organized by Travel Open Day, on the occasion of the Meet Tourism Messina programme of meetings and networking. The business sessions were followed by visits to the main attractions in the two southern Italian cities, and local experiences including a swordfishing boat excursion, a visit to the famous Riace bronze statues and wine and food tastings.

The occasion was “Meet Tourism towards the Mediterranean”

The 6-day fam trip kicked off at the Palazzo della Cultura in Messina with the plenary opening of “Meet Tourism towards the Mediterranean,” the city’s first experiential meeting which was attended by the mayor of Messina Federico Basile, the councilor for tourism Enzo Caruso, the councilor for productive activities Massimo Finocchiaro and the president of the Strait Port Authority, Mario Paolo Mega.  The event continued with B2B sessions that brought together local inbound operators and the 20 international buyers from Slovenia, Poland, Portuga, Lithuania, Spain, Romania, Russia, Hungary, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Brazil, and the United States. 

“Messina’s cuisine is the best in Italy”

The participants spent a morning on a “felucca” fishing boat to see firsthand the local swordfishing traditions and also visited the Ganzirri Lakes and the Fort Cavalli belvedere as well as visiting the Messina Brewery. For many of the buyers it was the first time in the south of Italy but Romanian journalist Dana Enache of “Viva!” magazine said it was her fifth time in Sicily. “But it’s my first time to Messina. It’s a wonderful city and much more relaxed than Italy’s big cities.”  Svetlana Trushnikova of Palomino Tour Travel said people often tell her there is not much to see in Messina, but that she found it full of interest. “Being able to use the airports of Reggio Calabria and Catania is an absolutely exploitable convenience, and for me Messina’s cuisine is the best in Italy.”  

Reggio Calabria also hosted the buyers

In Reggio Calabria, just across the Strait of Messina on mainland Italy, the participants visited the Museum of Reggio Calabria to admire the famous Riace bronze statues and spent two days discovering the city’s attractions as well as towns like Gerace, Bova and Scylla which is one of the area’s most popular coastal resort towns. The final day in Reggio Calabria was dedicated to business with a round table to present the companies attending followed by B2B appointments between local DMCs, DMOs, suppliers and the buyers.   

Calabria is a region for all seasons

“We had a very positive reaction from the buyers, - said Reggio Calabria’s mayor Giuseppe Falcomatà. – Our region has experiential potential. At certain times of year you can ski on the Aspromonte in the morning, have a swim on the Costa Viola in the afternoon, visit the Riace bronzes in the evening and end the day with an ice cream on the sea promenades of Catona or Pellaro. Reggio is delightful, engaging, and captivating."

Hellofly, the Maltese airline that operates in collaboration with the best European carriers, has inaugurated new weekly flights connecting Perugia with Lampedusa and Verona. 

Flight schedules for tourist and business traffic

Thanks to the operational synergy with the carrier Luxwing the Maltese airline will operate these new flights every Friday, departing Lampedusa at 9:10 and arriving in Perugia  at 10:40 while the return from Perugia will depart at 15:20, arriving in Lampedusa at 17:00. The Perugia-Verona Friday flights will depart Perugia at 11:30 arriving in Verona at 12:15, and then leave Verona at 13:30 to land in Perugia at 14:15

Adding to the appeal of Perugia’s San Francesco d’Assisi Airport

The two new routes represent a further step forward in expanding the network of connections offered to and from the Umbria airport, offering passengers departing from Perugia’s airport greater flexibility and travel options for both tourism and business. Departing from San Francesco d'Assisi Airport passengers will now have the opportunity to discover the natural beauty of Lampedusa, with its breathtaking beaches and crystal-clear seas, as well as the rich cultural heritage of Verona, which boasts historical monuments and a unique romantic atmosphere.



"Thanks to super competitive fares and operating levels"

For HelloFly's CEO, Teodosio Longo “The collaboration with the Umbrian airport is a splendid one, which in addition to the connection between Umbria and Lampedusa allows us to activate a new route such as Verona, thanks to super competitive fares and operating levels.” Tickets can be purchased on www.hellofly.it or through agencies.




  

The fortress of Rocca Calascio is considered the Abruzzo’s picture-perfect historic movie set.

The fortress was a military observation point

Located at an altitude of 1,460 metres asl in the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park, it is one of the highest fortifications in Italy, and dominates the Tirino valley and the Navelli plain in the province of l'Aquila, about two hours north of Rome. On a military layout the fortress is unique for the way it blends into the impervious surrounding territory, a position chosen as it was formidable from a defensive point of view. Made of very white limestone it is on a square plan, has four cylindrical towers at the corners and a square keep in the centre which is the castle's innermost military defense structure.  The castle was an excellent military observation point, allowing communication with other castles as far as the Adriatic coast, using torches at night and mirrors during the day.

Destroyed by an earthquake in 1703

At the foot of the fortress there are also the ruins of the ancient village, to which it is connected by a wooden bridge. In 1703, a disastrous earthquake damaged both the fortress and the village. Conservative restoration work was carried out in the late 1900s and this has allowed the entire area to be discreetly preserved, and open to visitors today. 

A popular film set

Rocca Calascio is a magical place and is famous for having been the location for many successful movies like Lady Hawke, Padre Pio and The Name of the Rose. For the beauty of the surroundings, the film industry considers the entire area, from Rocca Calascio to Santo Stefano di Sessanio, the movie set par excellence. 

In the Gran Sasso-Monti della Laga National Park

A visit to the castle is included in many of the itineraries and tours of the Gran Sasso-Monti della Laga National Park. On the road leading to Santo Stefano di Sessanio, listed as one of the Most Beautiful Small Towns in Italy you will encounter the Church of Santa Maria della Pietà, which can also be admired from the fortress.

The Catacombs of St. Callixtus, on Rome’s ancient Appian Way were the official cemetery of the Church of Rome in the 3rd century A.D. 

Martyrs and popes are buried in 12 miles of galleries

Around half a million Christians were buried in these Catacombs, many of them martyrs and 16 popes. Named after the 3rd-century deacon St. Callixtus, since 1930 they have been entrusted to the custody of the Salesian Brothers of Don Bosco. Among the largest and most important catacombs in Rome, they and occupy an area of 90 acres. The network of galleries is some 12 miles long, on four levels and over twenty meters deep. The crypt of the popes, the most important and venerated in the cemetery, is called Little Vatican as it was the official burial place of nine popes. It is still possible to see the original Greek inscriptions of five popes. On four of three tombstones, near the name of the pope, there is also the title of bishop, since the Pope was, and still is, the head of the Church of Rome.

The Crypt of Saint Cecilia 

Cecilia is the popular patron saint of music and was the daughter of a noble Roman family. She was martyred in the 3rd century and entombed where the state now stands. Venerated in this crypt for at least five centuries, in 821 her relics were transferred to Rome’s Trastevere district to the basilica dedicated to her. The statue in the Catacombs is a copy of the celebrated 1599 work by the sculpture Stefano Maderno.

Rome’s Catacombs were lost for centuries

When the Barbarians invaded Italy they systematically destroyed monuments and sacked many places including the city’s catacombs.  In the course of time landslides and vegetation hid the entrance to these burial chambers and all trace of their existence was lost. The exploration and scientific study of the catacombs stared centuries later with Antonio Bosio (1575-1629) nicknamed the Columbus of Subterranean Rome.  The systematic exploration of the catacombs, and in particular those of Saint Callixtus, was later carried out by Giovanni Battista de Rossi (1822.2894) who is considered the father and founder of Christian Archaeology. 

Guided tours for visitors

In 1930 the Holy See, as the owners of the catacombs, entrusted the Catacombs of Saint Callistus to the care of the religious Congregation of the Salesians of Don Bosco. There are guided tours for visitors. For information: www.catacombesancallisto.it/en/index.php

Many tourists know the elegant water city of Treviso only for its airport, Venice-Treviso, which is used by low-cost airlines thanks to its vicinity to Venice, which is just 40 minutes away by train and an hour by car.   

Frescoed facades and a historic bridge

This charming walled city, just 20 miles from Venice, has canals, and rivers, frescoed facades, great art, wines and food, and one of Italy’s, and the world’s, most popular desserts: Tiramisù, was invented here. For over 400 years the city was part of the Venetian Republic when it boasted over a thousand frescoed facades with scenes from legends and religious themes, some of which, though faded, can still be admired today.  On the tree-lined banks of the Sile and Botteniga rivers there are ancient waterwheels and contemporary art pieces, and the Ponte Dante bridge known as Ponte dell’Impossibile Bridge, so-called because it was seemingly impossible to build a crossing on this stretch of water.

A great city for food and wine

Treviso is closely tied to its surrounds and the vine-covered hills of the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG (Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin) area, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Many of the local wineries offer tours and tastings and Treviso’s most popular aperitifs are the Spritz and a glass of Prosecco. Another favourite is the Panino al Prosecco for which the bread is first soaked in Prosecco and then filled with thinly sliced mortadella, aioli garlic sauce and cheese. And no visitor can resist the local Tiramisu! 

Treviso is a city to be explored

Treviso is also famous for its red-leaved Radicchio Trevigiano chicory which is the basis for the Risotto al Radicchio, a local and worldwide favourite. A visit to Treviso means much more than just avoiding the crowds (and the city taxes) in Venice, it is a delightful way of discovering one of Italy’s most elegant water cities.

For information: www.visittreviso.it/en/

Two new passenger digital services have been introduced by Aeroporti di Roma at Rome’s Fiumicino airport.

Updates on a flight’s status 

Accessible through the Digiport platform, and designed to improve travellers' experience, the services provide real-time updates on a flight’s status and monitor boarding operations directly from smartphones thanks to the use of AI. The first service, a chatbot via WhatsApp, allows passengers to get notifications on flight status and detailed information on Fiumicino airport services. Travellers can access this dedicated chat by framing a QR code in the lower section of the Flight Info Monitor.

Livestreaming of a flight’s progress on smartphones

Smart Boarding is the name of the second service, available for gates E11-E24 of the non-Schengen boarding Pier E area. Through the use of micro-cameras coordinated by AI, the system collects and processes real-time data on boarding operations, allowing travellers to view livestreaming of their flight’s progress from their mobile phones. Updates include the percentage of completion of the boarding process, allowing passengers to decide when to join the queue.

The services were developed in partnership with Airport AI and ZestIot, two of the startups participating in the Call4ideas launched by Aeroporti di Roma at the Innovation Hub located in Fiumicino's Terminal 1. 

“We are revolutionizing the passenger experience”

"With these new digital services, we are continuing to revolutionize the passenger experience in the airport,- said Emanuele Calà, vice president Innovation & Quality Aeroporti di Roma. -Today travellers can find all the information about their flight at their fingertips, without having to check on information screens over and over again. By directly activating notifications on their smartphones and monitoring the boarding status in real-time, travellers can spend their time exploring the airport while waiting for their fight to take-off."