It's something actual Spaniards say! Perhaps he's trying to shift the blame!
Italians say "saluti!"
My Catalonian friend was rather amused/shocked/horrified when she read the signs around town here in "Spanish translation".
Saluti (normally with an adjective like cordiali or distinti) is the standard formula for salutation in correspondence, it is only written (you can actually say saluti, but it is uncommon/intentionally said for some effect).
When someone sneezes or for toasts, salute is used (it means health, it is a different word).
It is very similar to Spanish, salud is health, saludo/saludos are salutations, in Italian they correspond to salute and saluto/saluti.