Beach vacation in Italy: prices shoot up - what to do?

Beach vacation in Italy: prices shoot up - what to do?

Vienna, Österreich - The beach vacation in Italy is booming, but the high costs and the persistent pace of inflation are increasingly strain on vacationers. According to vienna.at this year, almost 30 million Italians and numerous international tourists chose the Mediterranean coastal state as a holiday destination. In particular, the beach of Capocotta, a nature reserve south of Rome, is a popular point of contact for younger people who cannot pay the prices of the classic beach baths.

Traditionally, most bathing holidaymakers lounge and parasols in the so -called “stabilimental Balneari”. However, this is made more difficult by inflationary price increases. While you had to pay less than 10 euros per day in front of the pandemic for a base set of two and a parasol had to pay less than 10 euros, the current prices are between 30 and 100 euros. The consumer organization "Altroconsumo" has found that the price range in 213 beach baths varies greatly and the average weekly price for a beach area from 182 euros in 2021 rose to 212 euros this year.

prices continue to rise

A current study by the consumer association Altroconsumo 2024 have to expect higher prices. The average price increase compared to the previous year is almost four percent. In sought -after locations, such as Alassio, the prices for a place in the front row can be up to 340 euros per week, while Rimini remains the cheapest option with an average of 150 euros.

A year earlier, prices rose by 5 percent and in 2022 by 10 percent. The price situation is also influenced by a few influential families who control the beach companies and make enormous profits. According to Merkur there are also always protests and strikes that are known as "umbrella strikes", there Operator and holidaymakers push for clarification of the license allocation.

The role of beach concessions

The system of beach concessions is also a big problem for vacationers. Only a few beach areas are free of deck chair zones. The EU calls for a transparent award of the beach concessions by 2024 to improve the situation and promote competition. However, the Italian government remains vague in its position and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has spoken out against Europe -wide tenders. These uncertainties mean that many operators continue to act with expired licenses.

The total costs for one day on the beach, including additional fees for showers and changing rooms, can be considerable for the holidaymakers and the vacation budget burden heavily. The results of the surveys of Altroconsumo clearly show that structural reform is necessary to ensure fair access to the beaches and reduce prices.

This is how the Italian beach vacation remains a double -edged sword - a popular destination for millions of nature lovers, which is characterized by high costs and conflicts.