Why are the beaches in Italy in full summer season: “you lower the prices and maybe things will improve.” Until the tariff for two loungers and an umbrella can arrive

The Italians seem to avoid the beaches this summer, notes The Guardian, against the backdrop that they would protest against the high prices practiced by private concessionaires. Going to the beach and renting cabins, loungers and umbrellas, usually in the same place, has long been an integral part of the Italian summer holidays.

This year's season began with a visible decrease in the number of tourists at the beach, after the private resorts on the two shores of Italy reported a decline between 15% and 25% compared to the same period of 2024.

The problem is not so much on the weekend, when the beaches are often crowded, especially near cities like Rome, but during the week. Those who come spend less on food and drinks.

Fabrizio Licordari, the president of Assobalneari Italy, the association that represents the private beaches, has set the decline on the high cost of life and its effects on the purchasing power.

“Even with two salaries, many families are struggling to reach the money by the end of the month,” he told the ANSA agency. “Under such conditions, it is natural that the first reduced expenses are those for free time, entertainment and holidays.”

The decrease in the number of tourists coincides, however, with the increase of tariffs for private beach establishments, as well as with a greater dissatisfaction with their domination on the Italian coast, which has left very little room for free beaches.

Up to 90 euros per day for two loungers and an umbrella

The price of renting a lounge chair is a recurring topic of discussion. On average, it costs 17% more than four years ago, according to data published this week by the Consumer Protection Organization. In the Lazio region, for example, it is difficult to rent two loungers and a umbrella with less than 30 euros per day, and in the very popular Gallipoli resort, in Puglia, the fare reaches about 90 euros.

Alessandro Gassmann actor fueled the debate after posting on Instagram a photo of empty loungers on a beach, writing: “I read that the season is not good. Maybe because the prices are exaggerated, and the economic situation of the country makes the Italians choose the beaches?

Maurizio Rustignoli, President of Fiba, the Italian Federation of Beach Establishments, claimed that the reports on high price increases are “misleading” and that, where they existed, they were only a few percent. He added that, on the other hand, customers benefit from services such as security and surveillance by lifeguards.

However, the Codacons Consumer Association said that going to a private beach has become “a burden” for people's budgets and accused concessionaires of “pouring crocodile tears.”

If the beaches lose customers, the mountain areas, especially the dolomites, have registered a significant increase in the number of visitors, some regions fearing even tourist overcrowding. According to an article published this week in the daily Il Messaggero, more and more Italians spend their holidays in the mountains, partly to get rid of the increasingly hot summers, caused by the climatic crisis.