ROME: Saudi Arabia has been confirmed as the official partner country of TTG Travel Experience 2021, Italy’s top tourism industry event. The event will be held at Rimini Expo Centre from Oct. 13 to 15. Organized by the Italian Exhibition Group, it will gather more than 20 countries in Rimini, the seaside city in northern Italy famous worldwide for its beach tourism. The World section will feature Saudi Arabia, defined by the organizers as “the authentic home of Arabia,” along with Qatar, Morocco, Tunisia, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Cuba, Colombia, Jordan, Maldives and Seychelles. Europe will be represented by  Slovenia, Croatia, Greece, Norway, Poland, Belgium, Austria, Malta, Ireland and Cyprus. “As the world continues to reopen and travel safely resumes, our participation in TTG Travel Experience is in line with our international strategy to inspire, engage and convert, bringing to life Saudi’s diverse offering of cultural adventures, world class heritage sites and authentic Arabian hospitality,” said Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority. The STA is responsible for raising awareness of Saudi Arabia as a tourism destination. The organization is focused on developing partnerships with travel trade partners around the world, to expand the reach of the Kingdom’s tourism offer and to drive conversion in key source markets. “Saudi has a wealth of iconic sites for travellers to experience, the pristine Red Sea, the awe-inspiring Arabian dunes, the rich cultural and heritage sites and the exciting line up of entertainment offers. Now that our borders are open, we look forward to welcoming international visitors with open hearts and open minds”, Hamidaddin added. Corrado Peraboni, the CEO of Italian Exhibition Group, told Arab News that he feels “honoured by Saudi’s participation as TTG Partner Country, as the Kingdom has so much to offer to those who will want to visit.” He stressed that the fair in Rimini, the first of its kind in Italy since the global shutdown last year, “signifies a major confidence boost for the relaunch of a key sector as tourism.” He added: “The involvement of 23 countries in this event confirms the international market value that our event has for Italian organized tourism companies and the matching potential for foreign buyers. On the four cardinal points of the globe, from Ireland to the Seychelles, from Cuba to Japan, for the 2021 edition of IEG’s event, confidence is the fundamental driver of the international tourism industry.”