Italy Showcases All 20 Regions in Dubai Through 23 Artworks Celebrating a Century of Tourism

The “Wonderful Italy” exhibition brings together historic tourism posters and contemporary artworks during Dubai Design Week, highlighting lesser-known Italian destinations for the Gulf travel market.

Dubai is hosting “Wonderful Italy – Made to Be Seen,” an exhibition featuring 23 visual artworks that trace more than a century of Italian tourism promotion, combining art, design and destination marketing to showcase the diversity of Italy’s 20 regions.

The exhibition opened on November 3, 2026, at the Dubai Hub for Made in Italy, located in the Convention Tower at Dubai World Trade Centre.

Organised by Italiacamp in collaboration with the Italian National Tourist Board (ENIT), under the patronage of Italy’s Ministry of Tourism, the exhibition forms part of Dubai Design Week.

The exhibition features 20 historic tourism posters, each representing one of Italy’s regions, alongside an illustration and two contemporary artworks dedicated to Milan–Cortina and Matera.

The collection explores how art and design have shaped Italy’s international tourism identity, from Sicily’s coastlines and Trentino’s mountains to historic cities, traditional villages and natural landscapes.

Gianmarco Mazzi, Italy’s Minister of Tourism, highlighted the UAE’s importance as a strategic market for Italian tourism in a message included in the exhibition catalogue.

He emphasised Italy’s regional diversity as one of the country’s greatest tourism strengths.

The initiative aims to encourage international travellers to discover lesser-known destinations and visit Italy throughout the year, rather than concentrating exclusively on major cities and peak travel seasons.

The exhibition welcomes visitors until Sunday, November 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Organisers have also announced plans to display a selection of the artworks at the Made in Italy premises in Abu Dhabi, although no opening date has been confirmed.

The exhibition demonstrates how historical artistic archives can become contemporary tourism marketing tools, using vintage travel posters to introduce destinations beyond Italy’s internationally renowned cities, such as Rome, Milan and Venice.

For the Gulf travel market, the initiative offers a broader perspective on Italy’s geographical and cultural diversity, potentially inspiring new itineraries across its regions.

However, the exhibition’s actual impact on travel bookings and visitor arrivals will require subsequent data and cannot be established solely from the event’s launch.