Dubai – The Italian National Tourist Board (ENIT) showcased Italy’s appeal as a global hub for luxury travel, cultural tourism, and destination weddings during its participation at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025 in Dubai. The prestigious travel and tourism event, held from April 28 to May 1, brought together over 47,000 industry professionals and 2,600 exhibitors from 161 countries. This year’s edition focused on the role of digital transformation in shaping the future of tourism.
Italy drew significant attention from Middle Eastern markets, with ENIT revealing that 964,440 arrivals were expected from the region in 2025 — a 21.1% increase over the previous year. The UAE continued to be Italy’s top market in the region, with 310,302 visitors projected, marking a rise of over 16%. Art cities remained the top travel choice, with holidays accounting for 37.5% of trips from the region.
Italy also cemented its place as the world’s leading luxury travel destination in 2025, attracting affluent travelers seeking high-end experiences and shopping. More than 15,000 foreign couples chose Italy for their wedding ceremonies — an 11.4% increase — while the country remained a top destination for honeymoons and family travel, ahead of places like Hawaii, Costa Rica, Greece, and Bali. Shopping tourism alone brought in 2.1 million visitors.
The Italian pavilion at ATM highlighted the country’s strong digital presence. Over the past month, Italy registered more than 3,300 social media mentions and 1,400 online articles. Tourism and culture dominated online conversations, while the country achieved an 83% positive sentiment score — outperforming France (63%) and Spain (76%). Italy also led in social media engagement with more than 1 million likes as of March 2025.
“Our country’s image continues to strengthen, and the numbers reflect that success,” said Ivana Jelinic, CEO of ENIT. “Italy not only leads in history and art, but also in luxury tourism and experiential travel. By diversifying our offerings, we’ve been able to attract new audiences and boost tourism revenue.”
Gianluca Caramanna, Advisor to the Ministry of Tourism, emphasized Italy’s strategic efforts to enhance its appeal. “Participating in ATM was key to reinforcing Italy’s leadership in the luxury travel market. The recent lowering of the tax-free shopping threshold and the new ITA Airways route to Dubai have enhanced accessibility and attractiveness. Our focus on digital transition is central to delivering premium tourism services and meeting the expectations of high-spending, connected travelers.”