Unlike in the UK where the vast majority of beaches are open to the public all year round and there is a culture of bringing picnics and wind‑breakers from home, renting loungers and parasols is a normal part of heading to the beach in Italy.
Italian beaches are unusually empty this summer as high prices drive sunseekers away.
Citizens of the boot‑shaped country appear to be snubbing beaches amid claims they are rebelling against the high prices charged by kiosk and sun‑bed owners.
Unlike in the UK where the vast majority of beaches are open to the public all year round and there is a culture of bringing picnics and wind‑breakers from home, renting loungers and parasols is a normal part of heading to the beach in Italy. This comes after plans to stop influencers from flooding the Dolomites badly backfired.
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This year however, there has been a big slump in visitors to private stretches of beaches, the Guardian reports. In July, there was a 25% fall in beach‑goers, compared to the same month last year. The problem is particularly acute during the week, when the throngs of the weekend are increasingly replaced by empty stretches of sand. What’s particularly worrying for business owners is that those who are going are spending less.
Fabrizio Licordari, the president of Assobalneari Italia, said the problem is to do with the decreased spending power of Italians generally. “Even with two salaries, many families struggle to reach the end of the month. In such circumstances, it’s natural that the first expenses to be cut are those for leisure, entertainment and holidays,” he told Ansa news agency.
The price of hiring a sun‑lounger is a serious point of contention in Italy, in part due to sudden sharp increases. The cost has risen 17% in four years, according to the latest figures from the consumer group Altroconsumo. Those heading for a spot of relaxation in Lazio will end up spending at least €30 (£26) a day for two sunbeds and an umbrella. If you head for the more up‑market areas, such as parts of Puglia, you’ll end up splashing out three times that much.
According Si Viaggia, the title of most expensive beach in Italy in August goes to Alassio, in the north of the country. There, to enjoy the sea with a beach umbrella and two sun loungers positioned in the front rows, you have to fork out an average cost of €340 per week.
Alessandro Gassmann, a famous actor in Italy, has started a debate at the cost of Italian beaches by posting a photo of a row of deserted sun‑beds. “I read that the season is not going well. Maybe it’s because the prices are exaggerated and the country’s economic situation is forcing Italians to choose free beaches? Lower the prices and maybe things will get better,” Allessandro wrote in the caption.
Consumers association Codacons has argued that going to beach resorts had become “a drain” on people’s finances, suggesting that those profiting from renting beach furniture were “shedding crocodile tears” when they complained of rising costs.