- Prohibitively high prices are forcing Italians not to go on vacation. The presence of foreign tourists is not enough. Hoteliers and restaurateurs are worried.
High costs are driving Italians away from the beaches. It is the first time that the phenomenon has been recorded in such an intense way in areas with traditionally high tourist traffic. In Salento, for example, south of Bari, in well-known resorts, the decrease in Italian tourists is more than noticeable and the situation is being saved, in part, only by foreigners. “What is wrong and what can be done?” ask the press, as well as businessmen in this sector. The main reason for the “flight from the sea” lies in punctuality. In southern Puglia, the daily cost for two sunbeds with an umbrella ranges from 60 to 90 euros.
Prohibitive prices
When parking costs 5 euros per hour and a frizzella with tomato and cheese (reminiscent of the Cretan dakos) reaches 17 euros, it is easy to understand why many families have started going to the beach only on weekends or returning the same day. In Tuscany, the decrease in tourists in hotels and organized beaches in July was 20% compared to last year, while in Calabria it exceeded 25%. A similar situation is also on the Adriatic Sea, in Riccione and Rimini, the resorts traditionally preferred by many Russians and Germans.
“This is clear evidence of the financial difficulties faced by Italian households. The presence of foreign tourists, this year, is not enough,” the newspapers write. The whole issue is also a major topic of discussion on the Internet. The comment of the actor Alessandro Gassman (son of the legendary Vittorio Gassman) is indicative, who in his post addresses the entrepreneurs of organized beaches and emphasizes: “You have probably exaggerated and people are looking for free beaches. Lower the prices and things may go better. Agreed?”.
Concerns in the tourism sector
Restaurant owners and hoteliers fear that after the negative performance of July, the report of August, the month that always brings the greatest revenue, will also be problematic. Overall, in Italy the tourism sector produces 13% of GDP and employs over 2,000,000 workers. Besides the accuracy, there are of course other problems: free beaches are increasingly limited, the cost of tolls and ferry transport to Sardinia and Sicily is constantly increasing, while the government, for the time being, seems to be ignoring the whole situation. However, everything indicates that this is not something temporary, but a phenomenon with deep economic and social roots and that if there are no timely interventions, it is very likely to take on even greater dimensions.
Source: DW
Theodoros Andreadis Syngellakis, Rome
