Italy was one of the top five nations from which visitors to Saudi Arabia came in 2022, according to officials in Rome. Growth in the number of Italian visitors to the Kingdom has been consistent. There were about 1,500 Italian visitors in the first half of 2022. Tourists from Italy continue to flock to AlUla to see the ancient ruins there, followed by Riyadh and Jeddah for their fascinating historical quarters. Director of Bertel, Eleonora Bertuzzi, told Arab News that Italian visitors gushingly describe their experiences in Saudi Arabia upon their return home. Bertel was among the first Italian tour companies to provide excursions to Saudi Arabia in 2002.
Around 1,500 Italians visited Saudi Arabia in the first half of 2022.
• In 2022, Italians were among the top five nationalities from which foreign visitors to KSA originated.
Bertuzzi is a local tour operator in Milan with whom he works and lives. On the other hand, she insists on working with Saudi vendors who are faithful to the country’s original customs. It’s common knowledge that Italian visitors anticipate a closed country with few options once they arrive. Instead, they perceive a dynamic nation where young people have an insatiable thirst for adventure. She claims that Italians are consistently “impressed” by Saudis, particularly those “involved in promoting heritage, attempting to offer tourists new experiences, like those who have opened their homes to organize lunches and illustrate how a middle-class Saudi family lives in their daily lives.”
Al-Balad is the historical centre of Jeddah and a UNESCO world heritage site, and it is a popular destination for visitors since it preserves some of the culture and architecture of ancient Hejaz. (Shutterstock) Tourists from Italy are just as interested in the Kingdom’s rich history and fascinating ruins. Bertuzzi remarked that “AlUla is an open-air museum” and that “our tourists who desire to understand the country by studying its beginnings” also adored Riyadh with its antiquities.
Half of all Italian visitors to Saudi Arabia say they hope to come again. We’re looking at several alternate routes and destinations right now. She went on to say, “Among these, NEOM will be quite interesting. Bertuzzi said that there is “great potential” for the expansion of Italian tourism in Saudi Arabia. “Right now, costs are still quite high for Italians. But be assured, we’re on it!