Less than a year after the launch of the PrenotACI.travel Participation Association (AIP) project created by ACI blueteam, we interviewed Massimiliano Biella, Leisure Travel Director of ACI blueteam, to assess the results achieved so far by this initiative. The project involves the opening of PrenotACI.travel travel agencies | The Automobile Club of Italy Travel Agency within the provincial ACI offices located throughout Italy. “The project was born from the idea of developing something together with the ACI network that was linked to travel distribution, adding a broader mobility service and travel consultancy to the services already provided,” explains Biella. “From the very beginning, our goal was to offer an additional benefit to customers who already turn to ACI offices, especially ACI members, by giving them the opportunity to purchase more structured travel experiences that are not necessarily car-related.”
ACI’s extensive presence across Italy, with more than 90 provincial offices—most of which are suitable for hosting a travel agency—has already led to the opening of five travel agencies in Rome, Verona, Como, Bari, and Ancona, while a sixth agency is scheduled to open in Bologna. The objective is to expand the network throughout the country at a pace of approximately ten new agencies per year. “At the moment, we are in line with the targets we originally set,” says Biella. “This is not a project designed with the ambition of creating a network of dozens or hundreds of travel agencies in a short time. On the contrary, we carefully select local partners capable of guaranteeing high standards that reflect our brand values.” Within three years, ACI blueteam aims to operate approximately 30 travel agencies. However, as Biella points out, depending on market developments, this target could ultimately prove either higher than expected or overly conservative. What is certain is that the model has demonstrated itself to be not only operational, but also highly replicable.
The AIP Formula: Why It Works
The Participation Association (AIP) formula is a key driver behind the success of PrenotACI.travel. A defining characteristic of the initiative is the entrepreneurial spirit of participating travel agency operators, an essential quality for achieving the business objectives on which the project is built. “Through the AIP model,” Biella comments, “we believe there are far greater opportunities to develop collaborations based not only on business but also on relationships, making the most of all the opportunities that ACI can offer at a local level. Our focus is on identifying entrepreneurs who are interested in opening a travel agency under our brand, sharing its values and heritage, while benefiting from rapid market positioning and the synergies created by the ACI network.” Among the strengths of the AIP model are the absence of initial entry costs and the speed of opening new sales outlets, which can typically be launched within approximately three months of signing the agreement. Every new project is supported by ACI blueteam, which assists partners in developing sales through a revenue-based cost structure that includes a preferential plan designed to encourage business growth and long-term sustainability. “We launched this initiative not to maximize margins from the agency network, but to build a network that is sustainable for entrepreneurs and truly works,” Biella emphasizes. “Our goal is to open sales outlets that have the opportunity to grow and reach break-even as quickly as possible. We are a company with a significant turnover in the leisure travel sector,” he adds, “which means that anyone joining our group benefits from highly competitive commercial agreements with the leading tour operators from day one.” Further strengthening the project is the partnership with Welcome Travel Group, which is extended to all agencies opened by ACI blueteam. This collaboration provides access to a broad range of products and strong supplier relationships, ultimately enhancing the value proposition offered to end customers and, of course, to ACI members.
The Future of PrenotACI.travel
Looking ahead, ACI blueteam’s objective is clear: to become an increasingly important point of reference for the entire ACI ecosystem through the PrenotACI.travel distribution brand. “What will we do in the coming years?” concludes Biella. “We will also explore collaboration models that are not necessarily tied to the AIP framework but still allow us to expand the presence of our brand throughout the country. Understanding local markets is essential in this business: holiday habits and, consequently, customer demand vary significantly from one region to another, and there is no single distribution model that is equally suitable for all areas of Italy. For this reason, we are evaluating alternative partnership structures that can involve local partners in different ways and help us increase our geographical reach while spreading our values more effectively at the local level.” By combining entrepreneurial partnership, strong brand recognition, and nationwide reach, PrenotACI.travel is positioning itself as a scalable and sustainable model for growth within Italy’s travel distribution landscape.
