With Aura appointment in Florence for luxury hôtellerie

Florence is once again becoming a meeting stage between Italy's five-star hotels and international tour operators, with the aim of pushing the high-end segment, which remains the one on which investors' interest is focused.

This is why Aura, organised by the trade fair company Italian Exhibition Group (Ieg), an evolution of the Luxury Event workshop that for the past three years has been held in Rimini on the eve of the Ttg trade fair on the tourism industry, will be held in October. The first edition is scheduled in the Renaissance Fortezza da Basso from 27 to 29 October 2026 with the support of the regional agency Toscana Promozione Turistica, the Destination Florence Foundation and Firenze Fiera. For the Tuscan capital, this is a "return" to luxury, given that for five years - until 2023 - Florence hosted Duco Italy, the most important Italian event for the meeting between high-level tourism supply and demand (which was held in recent days in Milan and from next year will be held in Rome). What will be the difference between Duco and Aura? According to Gloria Armini, manager of the Ieg division that deals with tourism and hospitality, Aura will be "more substantial" and in perspective will become a trade fair that will have Florence as its permanent venue "since we do not do travelling events".

The aim of Aura is to bring together 100-120 relais, 5-star hotels, luxury hospitality facilities, as well as top-level transport and service companies with 100-120 of the best tour operators from all over the world. The operators will also be accompanied to get to know the realities of the area, especially those related to fashion.

Tuscany - according to a study on luxury hospitality carried out in recent months by Deloitte by interviewing 900 operators and investors in Italia and abroad - is the second region in Italy for the presence of 5-star hotels (94, equal to 3% of the total hotel offer) after Lazio (which has 109, equal to 4%). Florence remains in the lead, along with Milan, Rome and Venice, in the investment choices of international operators, choices that over the next three years will concentrate on the luxury segment (41%) and on the upper upscale segment, i.e. 4-star hotels (27%). The effervescence of the Florentine luxury hospitality market is confirmed by the 5-star hotels under construction: Palazzo Morrocchi Florence by Stanley Collection, which will open in the summer; Capella Singapore in the former San Gallo military hospital; Baccarat Villa Camerata; Borgo Pignano Florence.