The mood on Italy's beaches is one of alarm. Reports of a drop in visitors of up to 30 percent in the months of June and July are causing a heated controversy that is dividing the entire tourism industry. At the heart of the debate is the question of whether outrageously high prices for sunbeds and parasols are the cause of the slump or whether the reasons are more profound.
Italian actor Alessandro Gassmann was one of those who got the ball rolling with a post that was widely shared on social media. "Dear friends, operators of lidos, have you perhaps gone a little overboard with the prices?" he asked provocatively, triggering a wave of approval. Consumer associations such as Codacons joined in the criticism, speaking of "crocodile tears" from operators and denouncing luxury prices of up to 1,500 euros per day. They accuse the industry of failing to make downward corrections after the price increases during the pandemic and the energy crisis.
The operator associations vehemently reject the accusations. Maurizio Rustignoli from the Fiba association calls the presentation "superficial and misleading". Price increases, if any, would only have been a moderate four to five percent. Standard offers for an umbrella and two sun loungers are still available for 18 to 30 euros. Instead, the operators' associations point to the falling purchasing power of families and a decline in foreign tourists. In addition, the issue of beach concessions, which has been unresolved for years, is hampering the willingness to invest.
Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè is playing it down and calling the crisis reports "scaremongering". Italy is still the leader in the Mediterranean region and offers cheaper prices than Spain or Greece.
However, sociologist Gabriele Manella from the University of Bologna advises differentiation. He sees a combination of several factors: on the one hand, the high prices certainly have an effect, on the other hand, vacation behavior is changing. Stays are becoming shorter and new forms of tourism such as hiking or trips to the mountains are gaining in popularity. However, it is too early to say whether the traditional beach model is in crisis. The summer is not over yet and will show who is right in the great beach controversy.
