Other images conjured up by this country might include the world’s sexiest sports cars, and food which is popular practically everywhere. Not to mention their ice-cream!

Home of some 59 million people, Italy is the world’s seventh largest nation in terms of GDP, and according to www.internetworldstats.com, 52.9 percent of its population is online at this time.

It is also a nation of contrasts. For example, most politicians are geriatric by European standards. And yet, this is the same country to have a porn star as a politician in the shape of La Cicciolina – indicating an overall healthy tolerance to sexuality and porn.

When is comes to money and spending it, Italians still prefer paying in cash when possible.

If not, the Electron prepay cards operated by www.kalibra.it and www.postpay.it are proving tremendously popular due to the anonymity and convenience afforded by them, so check that your card processor can process transactions from them, since, as we all know, cash when paying for services on the web is not a realistic option.

Italy also has an established 899 pay-per-call market, which has also proved extremely popular with Italians when paying for digital titillation – again, probably due to the convenience and anonymity factors as alluded to above.

Italians love porn – remember, this is the country that gave the world Rocco Siffredi!

But if you are to take this market seriously, remember to pitch to them in their native Italian.

Thankfully, the pics on your tours and promo tools really do say more than a million words, but when it comes to the important bit – paying you – communicate with them in a language they understand – theirs!