Vacation nightmare in Italy Beaches suddenly closed today - tourists can't go to the sea
On Friday, tourists will be faced with closed beaches in Italy as the operators of the lidos go on strike. In protest against EU plans to put licenses out to tender across Europe, they are not renting out sun loungers and parasols.
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- The operators of the lidos are protesting against the EU requirement to put licenses for beach sections out to tender across Europe in order to create transparency.
- Italian beach licenses were awarded to war veterans after the Second World War and are now a lucrative source of income for their descendants.
- Over 50 percent of Italy's coastline is covered by beach resorts, which generate an annual turnover of 15 billion euros and employ 300,000 people.
The nightmare of all holidaymakers: The sun is shining, the water is pleasantly cool - but the beach remains closed. On Friday, the legendary Italian lidos, the bagni, will be closed in the middle of the summer vacation, as reported by "Ravenna Today" and others.
The reason? The beach operators are on strike. From 7.30 am to 9.30 am, they will not be renting out parasols or sun loungers. If you want to get into the water, the doors will be closed.
In Italy, you can't just lie down by the sea. In most seaside resorts, you have to pay for access to the beach. The operators of the bathing establishments have licenses for certain sections of the beach - a special Italian regulation with a historical background. After the Second World War, these licenses were leased to war invalids to provide them with an income.
"Parasol mafia" makes a lucrative business
The descendants of the original leaseholders are now in charge of the country's 30,000 lidos. They are now making good money from the bagni, whose licenses used to be automatically renewed year after year.
Hiring out bathing equipment has become a lucrative business that people are not prepared to give up. In this context, there is always talk of the "parasol mafia". A week's beach vacation in Alassio on the Riviera, for example, costs an average of 340 euros per person. In the first row with a direct sea view, the price is as high as 392 euros.
No wonder the operators are fighting the EU plans. The EU wants to put beach licenses out to tender across Europe and make their allocation more transparent - which is currently not the case. Beach operators in the provinces of Udine, Liguria and Livorno are protesting and calling on the government in Rome to stand up for their interests.
Over 50 percent of Italy's coastline is covered by lidos, and 300,000 people work there in the summer months. The operators generate an annual turnover of 15 billion euros. They do not want to share this lucrative market with competitors from other countries such as Germany or France.