DREAM / The Prime Minister resigns and wakes up under the Parisian bridge!

 Kliko këtu për të tjera
Voxpress:

Italians give up on beaches amid debate over price hikes

2025-08-10 19:33:06Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Italians give up on beaches amid debate over price hikes
Italians give up on beaches amid debate over price hikes

Italians appear to be ignoring the beaches this summer, amid claims they are rebelling against high prices set by private beach concession owners.

Going to the beach and renting cabanas, sun loungers and umbrellas, usually in the same place, has long been an ingrained habit of Italian summer holiday culture.

But this year's season began with a sharp drop in the number of beach visitors, as private resorts along two long stretches of Italy's coastline recorded a drop of 15% and 25% in June and July compared to the same period in 2024.

The problem isn't so much on weekends, when beach resorts are often overcrowded, especially those near cities like Rome, but during the week. Those who do go are also spending less on food and drink.

Fabrizio Licordari, president of Assobalneari Italia, an association representing beach clubs, blamed the decline on the high cost of living and its consequences on purchasing power.

"Even with two salaries, many families are struggling to make ends meet," he told the Ansa news agency. "In such circumstances, it is natural that the first expenses to be cut are those for leisure, entertainment and holidays."

However, the decline in vacations also coincides with the rising cost of private beach resorts and a growing rebellion against their dominance on the Italian coast, which has left very little space for free beaches.

The cost of renting a sunbed is a recurring topic of discussion, and rightly so as, on average, it costs 17% more than four years ago, according to figures this week from consumer group Altroconsumo. On beaches in the Lazio region, for example, it is difficult to rent two sunbeds and an umbrella for less than 30 euros a day. This rises to around 90 euros in the popular resort of Gallipoli in Puglia.

Actor Alessandro Gassmann sparked the debate after sharing a photo of a beach with abandoned sun loungers on his Instagram page and writing alongside it: "I read that the season is not going well. Maybe because the prices are exaggerated and the economic situation of the country is forcing Italians to choose free beaches? Lower the prices and maybe things will improve."

Maurizio Rustignoli, president of FIBA, the Italian federation of beach resorts, argued that reports of high price increases were “misleading” and that, where they occurred, they were only a small percentage. He added that people in return benefited from services including security and coastguard supervision.

But consumer association Codacons said going to coastal resorts had become "a drain" on people's finances and accused concession owners of "shedding crocodile tears".

Beaches may be losing customers, but areas in the mountains, particularly the Dolomites, have seen a significant increase in visitor numbers, with some areas fearing overcrowding.

According to a report this week in the newspaper Il Messaggero, more Italians are heading to the mountains for their holidays, partly as a way to escape increasingly hot summers caused in part by the climate crisis.


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

Video

SHIKO KANALIN NE YOUTUBE
×