There are conferences and ITHIC, that splendid Roman gathering where business suits and espresso cups share equal billing. This year, as autumn sunlight streamed through the cypresses at Hotel Villa Pamphili, you could almost feel the hum of deal-making in the air — polished shoes echoing across marble, the perfume of ambition mingling with coffee and conversation.
The Italian Hospitality Investment Conference (ITHIC) has become far more than a diary entry for hoteliers. It has become a pilgrimage for those who believe that hospitality, when done with vision and heart, is both an art and an economic engine.
A City and a Sector in Full Voice
The numbers alone tell a story of momentum. Over 1,200 delegates filled the halls, joined by 110 speakers from across the globe — financiers, developers, economists, and dreamers all swapping insights on how Italy’s hotel scene evolves from a domestic pride to a global powerhouse.
Around 40% of attendees came from abroad, lending the event a distinctly international rhythm. You heard French, English, German, Arabic and, naturally, that inimitable Italian cadence that makes even macroeconomics sound romantic.
What struck me most wasn’t the attendance, but the tone. There was none of the cautious hedging that often shadows investment forums. Instead, there was a conviction that Italy’s hospitality future would be driven not by circumstance but by choice.
When Italy Speaks, the Industry Listens
“ITHIC has become the annual meeting point where ideas turn into investment,” one delegate whispered over an aperitivo, eyeing a rival developer with good-humoured suspicion. “And sometimes, where competitors become partners or at least exchange cigars.”
The sentiment was widely shared. Heavyweights like Federalberghi, Invitalia, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti were all present, reinforcing the event’s importance to Italy’s broader economic narrative.
This wasn’t just about hotels. It was about nation-building, recognising that tourism, hospitality, and investment are threads of the same national fabric.
The Stars Behind the Strategy
The line-up read like the credits of a grand Italian film — a blend of legacy, intellect, and international polish. Walter Pecoraro of Federalberghi Lazio, Giuseppe Roscioli of Federalberghi Roma, and Sebastien Samoye from Belmond shared the stage with global voices such as Richard Arnold of Auberge Resorts Collection and Li Zhang from Brookfield Asset Management.
They weren’t reciting figures — they were interpreting a future. The discussions spanned everything from geopolitical uncertainty to green finance, luxury redefinition, and asset diversification.
And then came a line that silenced the room. Gloria Guevara, the interim CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council, said,
“Investment in hospitality is investment in people. A hotel isn’t just walls and windows — it’s a promise to the community that built it.”
It wasn’t a soundbite; it was a statement of purpose. The following applause felt genuine, the kind that says, “Yes, that’s exactly it.”
Where Rome Meets Reality
ITHIC’s venue, the Hotel Villa Pamphili, couldn’t have been more fitting, a property that looks timeless without ever appearing dated. Owned by the Aries Group, it’s one of those places that understands Italian luxury in its purest form: understated, elegant, and never in a hurry.
Stefano De Santis, CEO of Aries Group, captured it beautifully:
“This event has become a catalyst a bridge between ideas and investments, between vision and execution. Each year, we see conversations evolve into projects that shape the very fabric of hospitality.”
He wasn’t exaggerating. I’ve covered a fair share of conferences where enthusiasm evaporates with the final cocktail. ITHIC isn’t one of them. You can sense deals forming here sometimes literally scribbled on napkins, the way the best Italian ideas often begin.
A Taste of Tomorrow, Served the Italian Way
If there was a theme to this year’s conference, it was confidence with conscience. Investors talked less about size and more about soul — sustainability, authenticity, cultural preservation.
One speaker noted that “AI might optimise occupancy rates, but it can’t remember your favourite table at breakfast.” The laughter that rippled across the room carried truth: technology has its place, but hospitality’s soul remains human.
This tension between progress and preservation makes Italy’s role in global tourism so fascinating. The country doesn’t chase trends; it refines them.
An Ending That Feels Like a Beginning
As the final panels drew close and the Roman twilight turned amber, you could feel the quiet satisfaction of something meaningful being achieved. Delegates lingered in the courtyard, trading business cards, clasping hands, and espresso machines hissing one last encore.
For two days, Italy wasn’t just a backdrop. It was the beating heart of the world’s hotel investment conversation.
ITHIC didn’t end with applause; it ended with intent. The kind that fills diaries, fuels deals, and leaves one last lingering thought: if Rome is the Eternal City, then ITHIC may be its eternal conversation.
By Bridget Gomez
BIO:
Bridget has never been one to sit still. Of Portuguese heritage, she first trained as a nurse. She threw herself into work at the Commonwealth Veteran Affairs Repatriation Hospital, tending to old soldiers with stories almost as colourful as her own would become. It was rewarding, steady work, but wanderlust has a louder voice than routine.
So, she swapped starched uniforms for a backpack and set off on a twelve-month gallop around the globe. Along the way, she scribbled in journals, capturing the dust, the laughter, the odd missed train, and the occasional glass of wine too many. Those notebooks soon became a travel blog, her way of reliving and sharing the journeys with anyone willing to read.
Eventually, Bridget stumbled across Global Travel Media and, in her words, “the rest is history.” Now she writes with the same mix of heart and mischief that fuelled her travels.
