Eastern Veneto is seeing tourism revival with foreign visitors, along with a strong rise in visits from KSA.
The provinces of Padua, Treviso, Venice and Rovigo in Eastern Veneto are witnessing a strong recovery and growth in tourism in 2023, thanks to the return of foreign visitors, especially from the Middle East.
Already before the Covid-19 pandemic, Italy was rapidly growing in popularity as a destination for travellers from the Middle East. At the time of the last official statistics break-down in 2017, visitors from the UAE spent €180m in Italy, followed by visitors from Saudi Arabia who spent €120.3m. The most visited regions by Middle Eastern travellers were Lazio, Lombardy, Veneto, Tuscany, Piedmont and Emilia Romagna, according to ENIT, the Italian National Tourist Board.
According to official data, from January to April this year, Eastern Veneto welcomed about 2.8 million arrivals (+47% compared to the same period in 2022) and 6.6 million visitors (+34.5%). Foreign tourists, mainly from the UAE and Saudi Arabia, were the top spenders and preferred destinations such as cities of art, beach and spa resorts.
Salvatore Pisani, President of the Tourism & Culture Group for Venice, said that tourism and culture are key sectors for the region’s economy and attractiveness. He highlighted the success of the Redentore festival, which attracted tourists from all over the world to Venice and increased the average revenue per room by 15% compared to 2022.
He also outlined some of the objectives and challenges for the sector, such as regulating short rentals, introducing an entrance ticket, organizing quality events, maintaining urban decorum and beach tourism. He said that his group would work in synergy with the regional authorities to prepare talent and protect the territory. He mentioned a project to stabilize the maintenance of the beaches of the Lido and all of Veneto, for which they have already sent their document of observations to the President of the Conference of Mayors.
Italy’s hidden gems: How Arab art and culture shaped Venice
Italy is famous for its art, but few people know how much it owes to the Arab world. According to a feature study and report by Alarabiya, Venice, in particular, has a rich legacy of Islamic art and architecture that spans two millennia. From its name to its symbol, the city bears the traces of its long and fruitful relations with the Middle East.
Venice was a hub of trade and diplomacy between Europe and the Arab world, as well as Turkey and Iran. It absorbed many of the traditions and treasures of Islamic art and culture, which can be seen in its monuments, churches, palaces and museums.
One of the most iconic examples is Saint Mark’s Basilica, which displays Byzantine spoils of war, such as the Madonna Nicopeia panel, an icon from Constantinople that guided Byzantine Emperors in battle. The Basilica also houses a treasury of precious goods from the Middle East, such as fabrics, glasses, ceramics and jewellery.
Venetian patrician families were proud collectors of Islamic artifacts, especially oriental carpets, which they often posed with in their portraits. Venice was also the place where the first book printed from movable Arabic type, the Book of Hours, was published in the 16th century.
The influence of Islamic architecture can be seen in the pointed arches and quatrefoils of buildings such as the Doge’s Palace and the Ca’ d’Oro, which overlook the Grand Canal. These buildings combine Islamic and Gothic elements, reflecting Venice’s mediating identity.
After the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797, Venice’s ties with the Middle East weakened under French and Austrian rule. However, a new wave of orientalism in art revived the interest in Islamic art in different forms.
Saudi Arabia at La Biennale di Venezia
In 2018, Saudi Arabia made its debut at La Biennale di Venezia, a major international architecture exhibition in Venice. The Saudi pavilion, titled “Spaces in Between”, was a collaboration between the Misk Art Institute, the Italian Embassy and Saudi architects Abdulrahman and Turki Gazzaz.
La Biennale di Venezia is a prestigious exhibition that showcases contemporary art from around the world. It was founded in 1895 and covers various forms of artistic expression, such as cinema, music, theatre, architecture and dance.
The pavilion explored how minimal spaces can foster social interaction and community building in Saudi cities. It also reflected the economic and social changes taking place in the Kingdom, and the potential for cultural dialogue with Italy.
The director of the Misk Art Institute, Dr. Ahmed Mater, said that arts and culture had a special role in developing the strategic partnership between the two countries. He added that it was a landmark moment for Saudi Arabia and its cultural relations with Italy.
The architects Abdulrahman and Turki Gazzaz said they wanted to engage visitors in the possibilities of creating interaction through redesign
The curators of the pavilion, Dr. Sumaya Al-Solaiman and Jawaher Al-Sudairy, said that the exhibition examined the social implications of architecture. The architects Abdulrahman and Turki Gazzaz said they wanted to engage visitors in the possibilities of creating interaction through redesign.
Venice is a unique example of how Islamic art and culture have enriched Italy’s artistic heritage. It is a hidden gem that deserves more recognition and appreciation.
(Photo – top of page – canmandawe / Unsplash)
