Accommodation in Rome is being promoted for international passengers through connecting flights to final destinations outside Italy. This is the aim of “Stopover Roma,” the new product launched by Alitalia in cooperation with Federalberghi Roma, Unindustria, and Aeroporti di Roma, with the patronage of the Municipality of Rome. Alitalia passengers traveling between two cities with one stop in Fiumicino airport will be able to stop in Rome for the price of a ticket including a simple airport transit. Travelers will also avail of special hotel rates for affiliated accommodation facilities and of complimentary luggage deposit at Fiumicino airport.
The project has been illustrated today by Fabio Maria Lazzerini, Chief Commercial Officer and Revenue Management of Alitalia. Speaking at the event: Adriano Meloni (Councillor for Economic Development, Tourism and Labour for the Municipality of Rome), Gianluca De Gaetano (Deputy Managing Director Federalberghi Rome and Lazio), Raffaele Pasquini (Head of marketing and Business development for Aeroporti di Roma), and Stefano Fiori (President of the Tourism and Leisure Industry section of Unindustria).
“Rome is not only the main hub for our network, but it is first of all a valuable historic, artistic, and cultural heritage,” declared Lazzerini. “The strength of our project lies in the numbers: we will start with a range of 500,000 passengers, which will hit 1.5 million once the project runs at full speed. This is a challenge that will benefit all: for Alitalia, for the economy of Rome, for hoteliers, and for the tourism industry. This is further evidence of the fact that Alitalia can be a driver for Italian tourism,” added the Chief Commercial Officer and Revenue Management of Alitalia.
“With 14.5 million tourists, Rome is one the most-visited cities in the world. The ‘Rome Stopover’ initiative is fully consistent with our strategic hospitality vision, based on the promotion of responsible and quality tourism. The synergy among all players, from long-haul flights to the availability of our accommodation facilities has an actual positive impact on the whole industry,” stated Adriano Meloni, Councillor for Economic Development, Tourism and Labor for the Municipality of Rome.
“Creating synergies with the leading Italian airline is pivotal for the growth of the city’s tourism and hospitality industry: ‘Rome Stopover’ represents a smart way to increase the number of foreign visitors to the Italian capital city,” declared Gianluca De Gaetano, Deputy Managing Director Federalberghi Rome and Lazio.
“Thanks to this joint initiative, the Fiumicino airport confirms its status as a strategic hub, a gateway into not only the city of Rome and Italy, but also for Europe and the Mediterranean. The continuous growth of intercontinental traffic is a further confirmation of the fact that Rome is an interesting destination for international tourists. With this initiative, Aeroporti di Roma continues to support the development of air traffic to and from the Italian capital city, as a first step to promote tourism and longer stays in the city of Rome to allow visitors to fully enjoy Rome’s cultural and entertainment offer,” said Raffaele Pasquini, Head of marketing and Business development for Aeroporti di Roma.
“Tourism is one of the certainties of our territory. This is why we congratulate Alitalia on the new Stopover project – a challenge for all of us, entrepreneurs, and institutions – which will further promote our city as a key tourist destination. With this initiative, Alitalia will help improve tourist flows into Rome,” declared Stefano Fiori, President of the Tourism and Leisure Industry section of Unindustria. “The latest data confirm that this is the right direction: in one year – from October 2016 to October 2017 – the number of arrivals has increased by 2.8% in the hotels of Rome and 5% in luxury facilities, with the highest demand coming from the US (38.2%), followed by the United Kingdom (10.21%), Germany (6.19%), and France (4.74%). Encouraging numbers, but we need to take further steps in order to attract more quality tourism,” he added.
The “Rome Stopover” product is available to all passengers departing from international destinations with one stop in Rome Fiumicino airport and arrival in other destinations outside Italy (certain foreign markets are currently not included). Passengers will be offered a dedicated fare: it is common practice in the air transport market to apply higher fares in case passengers require a stop in the transit city, instead of continuing to their final destination after a short stay in the airport. The “Rome Stopover” will offer the same fare also in case passengers decide to stay in Rome for up to 3 nights. Additionally, customers will benefit from special hotel rates and a complimentary luggage deposit service in Fiumicino.
The “Rome Stopover” can be requested when the air ticket is purchased at travel agencies, through Alitalia Call Center numbers worldwide or through the soon-to-be-launched Alitalia web portal. All information and travel conditions relating to the “Rome Stopover” can be found in the dedicated section of alitalia.com in all foreign involved markets.
