Kiss From Italy

What Kiss From Italy does

Kiss From Italy (legal entity: Blue Travel LLC) is a privately held boutique tour operator founded in 2010 by Andrea Barsotti, headquartered in Boston, MA with operational support in Florence, Italy. The company curates and resells private and small-group travel experiences across 14 Italian regions, offering a catalog of 150+ bookable products including private cultural tours, shore excursions, yacht charters, food and wine experiences, adventure activities (Ferrari/Lamborghini test drives, helicopter tours), and luxury transfers. Its service model relies on a network of licensed, certified local guides and professional drivers, with pricing per booking ranging from approximately €50 for entry-level experiences to €3,800+ for premium yacht charters, all settled in EUR.

Revenue is generated entirely through one-time per-booking transactions across multiple distribution channels: a direct-to-consumer e-commerce website (kissfromitaly.com) with integrated booking, plus marketplace listings on Viator (Tripadvisor, 10-year partnership), Expedia, and Airbnb Lux. The customer base is comprised of affluent individual travelers, couples, families, and cruise passengers docking at Italian ports — there are no disclosed B2B or enterprise contracts. The company employs 1–10 people and operates without external funding, positioning itself as a high-touch, human-curated alternative to AI-driven travel platforms. Marketing is conducted through content marketing, SEO, organic social (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, X), email newsletters, and earned press, with payment processing handled via PayPal and the website platform powered by Mirai Bay.

Name

Kiss From Italy

Legal name

Blue Travel LLC

Website

https://kissfromitaly.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Tour Operator

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (48711)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Culinary & Wine Travel Agencies (THAKAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Boutique Yacht Cruise Operators (Scheduled Itineraries) (THAEADAA), Food, Market & Culinary Culture Tours (THAJAAAG)

Keywords

• Private tours
• Shore excursions
• Yacht charters
• Guided tours
• Italian travel experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Private Tour Bookings: The company generates revenue through direct booking of private tours across Italy, including cultural tours, day trips, shore excursions, and specialized experiences. Pricing is per booking/tour with variations based on group size, duration, and included services.
2. Yacht Charters: Revenue from luxury yacht cruises in the Amalfi Coast, Sardinia, Capri, and other coastal destinations. The company operates a fleet expansion strategy, adding vessels to meet growing demand.
3. Shore Excursions: Specialized shore excursion services for cruise passengers docking at Italian ports including Civitavecchia (Rome), Livorno, La Spezia, Naples, and others. These tours are designed around cruise ship schedules.
4. Food & Wine Experiences: Revenue from culinary experiences including cooking classes, wine tastings in historic castles, and food tours in regions like Tuscany, Emilia Romagna, and Piedmont.
5. Luxury Transfers & Special Experiences: VIP transportation services and unique experiences including Ferrari/Lamborghini race car test drives, helicopter tours, and Bernina Express train journeys.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Kiss From Italy sells 150+ curated private and small-group tours across 14 Italian regions, including cultural city tours (Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan), archaeological experiences (Pompeii, Colosseum), shore excursions timed to cruise schedules at Italian ports, luxury yacht charters along the Amalfi Coast and Italian islands, food and wine experiences (Tuscan castles, Barolo, Bologna), and adventure activities such as Ferrari and Lamborghini racetrack test drives. Each tour is delivered with licensed local guides, private drivers, and customizable itineraries booked directly through the company's website or via third-party travel marketplaces.

Product overview

Kiss From Italy is a boutique tour operator offering a portfolio of private and small-group tour experiences across Italy. The core offerings include Private Tours (fully customizable experiences with dedicated guides and drivers), Small Group Tours (limited-size curated experiences), Transfers (private luxury vehicle transportation), Package Tours (multi-day with accommodation), and Yacht Charters (luxury boat experiences). The product portfolio spans cultural city tours (Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan), archaeological sites (Pompeii, Colosseum, Roman Forum), culinary experiences (wine tastings, food tours, cooking classes), adventure experiences (Ferrari/Lamborghini test drives, helicopter tours), and coastal/island excursions (Amalfi Coast, Capri, Sardinia, Sicily, Ischia, Procida). Shore excursions are offered for cruise passengers at major Italian ports. The company operates primarily as a direct-to-consumer booking platform with distribution through Viator, Expedia, and Airbnb Lux.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Tours Fully customizable private tour experiences across Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice, Amalfi Coast, Naples and Pompeii, Milan, Tuscany, Sicily, Cinque Terre, Lake Como, Emilia Romagna, Piedmont, Puglia, Sardinia) with dedicated licensed local guides and private drivers; 130 tours in the catalog, with skip-the-line access to major attractions.
• Small Group Tours Limited-size curated group tours (e.g., Bologna Food Tour in Small Group) with expert guides offering a more social and lower-cost-per-person alternative to fully private tours.
• Transfers

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ five-star Viator/TripAdvisor reviews over 10 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Viator (Tripadvisor)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 6 November 2016KissFromItaly has been a Viator partner since 2016, celebrating 10 years of partnership in November 2025. Viator is a Tripadvisor company and one of the world's leading travel experience platforms. The partnership has been instrumental in KissFromItaly's growth from a single tour to over 150 private tours across Italy.
• ExpediaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKissFromItaly is listed on Expedia as a travel experience provider, reaching Expedia's global customer base of travelers booking accommodations and activities.
• Airbnb LuxminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremium experiences listed on Airbnb Lux for high-net-worth travelers seeking luxury accommodations combined with curated tour experiences.
• PayPalcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayPal serves as the payment processing partner for credit card transactions on KissFromItaly.com. Credit card information is collected by PayPal through secure, encrypted connections. PayPal is based in San Jose, CA USA (Nasdaq: PYPL).
• Historic Castle and Vineyard FamiliescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKissFromItaly partners with historic Tuscan castle owners and vineyard families for exclusive wine tasting experiences. These partnerships enable private wine experiences hosted by historic families in medieval castle settings.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Context Travel: Private, scholar-led walking tours across Italy and Europe with credentialed local experts. Highly comparable to KissFromItaly's positioning around graduate-degree guides, small/private group sizes, and premium cultural tourism, with similar pricing tiers.
• Tours by Locals: Marketplace connecting travelers with private local guides across Italy and globally. Comparable to KissFromItaly in its private-tour model, reliance on licensed local guides, and premium pricing structure for personalized experiences.
• Italy4Real: Italy-focused tour operator offering private and small-group tours led by local guides, with strong emphasis on authentic and off-the-beaten-path experiences. Directly comparable to KissFromItaly's boutique, locally-rooted positioning in the Italian private tour segment.
• Raphael Tours & Events: Italy-based tour operator specializing in private shore excursions and Vatican/Colosseum tours for cruise passengers and individual travelers. Directly comparable to KissFromItaly's cruise-shore-excursion focus and Vatican/Colosseum private tour product.
• Withlocals: Marketplace and tour operator offering private tours with local hosts across Europe, including extensive Italy coverage. Overlaps with KissFromItaly on private guided tours, culinary experiences, and premium pricing for personalized itineraries.
• Driver In Rome: Rome-based private driver and tour service offering luxury transportation, shore excursions, and custom tours. Closely comparable to KissFromItaly's transfer and shore excursion services around Civitavecchia and Rome.
• Walks of Italy: Boutique tour operator offering small-group and private guided tours across Italy's major cities (Rome, Florence, Venice, Pompeii). Directly comparable to KissFromItaly in product type, geographic focus, customer segment (English-speaking travelers), and emphasis on skip-the-line, expert-guided experiences.
• Walks (by Devour Tours / Food Tour Corp): Boutique food and cultural tour operator with significant Italy presence (Bologna, Rome, Florence). Comparable to KissFromItaly's culinary and cultural tour offerings, with similar small-group and private tour model targeting foodie travelers.

Broad incumbents

• GetYourGuide: Global OTA for tours and activities with extensive Italy inventory and growing direct supply relationships. Comparable to KissFromItaly's marketplace-driven discovery and booking model, but at much larger scale and with proprietary technology.
• Viator (Tripadvisor): Largest global online marketplace for tours, activities, and attractions, and KissFromItaly's core distribution partner. Comparable as the dominant platform channel through which KissFromItaly reaches travelers and accumulates reviews.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kiss_from_italy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/kissfromitaly
• Facebookfacebook.com/KissFromItaly
• Instagraminstagram.com/kissfromitaly
• Pinterestit.pinterest.com/kissfromitaly
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blue-travel-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kiss From Italy