Considering and considering galloping inflation, it was predictable and physiological at the same time that 2023 would be the summer of beloved holidays. But a place on the beach can be like a rental apartment, maybe we weren’t prepared for that. An umbrella and three sun loungers cost 75 Euros in Santa Marinella, a charming village on the Lazio coast. per day, that is. We are not talking about dream resorts or extra luxury services, but a very normal establishment on the main beach. Shortly after the signatures below, two foreign tourists are shocked to learn the price of two sunbeds and an umbrella. “Sixty or sixteen?” they ask confused. Sixty or sixteen euros? Then they go away. Unbelievable. This is just an example. Much more can be done given the sheer number of articles and references the network has to offer.

It’s not like that everywhere. Not everyone wants a place in the sun from the moon. However, the increases are significant on average. according to monitoringFederconsumatori National Observatory, the average price of an umbrella is 12.79 euros, up 16% compared to last year, the average price of a sun lounger is 8.54 euros and a sun lounger is 11.79 euros. But there are also less optimistic forecasts. So how much does a family spend to rent two sun loungers and an umbrella? “We went from 20-30 euros this year (last year, ed) to really exorbitant prices,” he said. Today Anna Rea, president of Adoc (consumer advocacy and guidance association). “We’re talking about 50 euros, but on some beaches it can even reach 70 euros. I’m not talking about the inaccessible village of Santanchè, I’m talking about the beaches where the average family goes.”

There is more and less. Two sun loungers and a cool place in Sorrento cost 44 euros per day. All in all, a reasonable price considering we are in one of the most sought after tourist destinations on the Sorrento peninsula (and beyond). In Taormina you have to pay 60 Euros for an umbrella and two sun loungers. It is said that in GallipoliAdoc Apulia, an umbrella and two sun loungers cost between 35 and 50 euros per day, but on many of Salento’s beaches you can also start from 50-60 euros, especially in high season. And then there are the parking prices, which cost an increasing fortune and can easily reach 10 euros a day – especially in sought-after places. Not to mention price increases in airfare, hotels and restaurants. You hear everything on social media and in the newspapers: from Salento puccia, which sells for 26 euros, to the Ligurian tavern, which sells for two euros for an empty plate. Edge cases? Sure, but not too much. Because even if you avoid the most famous destinations, it’s enough to step outside the house to discover that a day at the beach can be costly for a family.

According to the head of Adoc, “if we add net petrol, parking, cot, drinks, ice cream, coffee and sandwiches, we get at least 100 euros for a family of 4”. per day, that is. It’s an unaffordable cost even for the middle class, let alone poor or low-income families.

Beaches are more and more for a few

That will be said: to save money, just choose free beaches. It’s not always that easy, at least not everywhere. according to estimates Legambiente 42.8% of the low shores of the boat are full of concessions, 7.7% of them cannot be entered due to other reasons (smuggling, bathing ban, etc.). In 2021, there are a total of 12,166 concessions for hammam facilities and 1,838 concessions for campsites, sports clubs and tourism complexes. And it’s not uncommon to see the most obscene or easily accessible stretches of shoreline almost entirely as privately owned concessions. So much so that we read it in the “2023 coast report” in some regions. LegambienteWe find “real records at European level, such as Liguria, Emilia-Romagna and Campania, where almost 70% of the beaches are occupied by bathing facilities”.

In all this and this is not a detail, the government is trying to show that in Italy there is no “scarcity of coastal resources” and therefore there is no need to conduct transparent public tenders to allocate concessions. Bolkestein directive approved by the EU and never implemented by Italy. The monopoly continues. And costs go up.

High prices, beaches reserved only for those with a certain bank account, against ridiculous price concessions. And then the unpleasant feeling of being seen as the classic chicken that needs to be plucked. This may be the reason why the tourist level did not rise in the summer of 2023 and there is a measurable drop in demand of -20/30% (source). 24 hours sun), although the second Federtourism the presence of foreigners increased by 4%. Note that the increases are not just about Italy, but there is no doubt that many Mediterranean countries are able to offer more competitive rates today. an investigation demoscopic He estimated that tourism prices rose 8.9% year-on-year, with Italy registering “a larger increase than its traditional European competitors”. Especially in the hospitality and catering sector, prices rose 7.5% compared to 5.6% in France, 5.7% in Greece and 6% in Spain. And then there is Albania, which is packed with tourists (including Italians) offering low prices and an emerald sea.

No one expects prices in Italy to be in line with countries with a lower cost of living and certainly a lower tax burden. However, seeing some stings, he suspects that someone is taking advantage of them.

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