Italy closes beaches: operators strike for umbrellas

- Italy closes beaches: operators strike for umbrellas

August has always been the month when they make the most money in Ostia. At the "Tibidabo", one of the beautiful old baths on the city beach of Rome, opened in 1935, they often put up the sign "Umbrelloni esauriti" at the cash desk as early as the morning: no more sun umbrellas, everything booked until evening. In Italy, it is recommended to be at the sea as early as nine in the morning on these days. However, it is quite possible that this will not help on this Friday.

In the middle of the main season, the owners of many of the country's 7,200 beach baths, the stabilimenti balneari, are planning to go on strike for the first time: initially only in the morning for two and a half hours. But if the government of the right-wing prime minister Giorgia Meloni does not move, the baths will remain closed for half a day in mid-August, still in the holiday season, and for a whole day at the end of the month. The background is an EU directive, the implementation of which Italy has been evading for almost 20 years.

For the millions of holidaymakers on the more than 7,500 kilometers of Mediterranean coast, such a strike would not necessarily be a catastrophe. But it would be a nuisance for many. The beach lounger (Italian: lettino) and the sun umbrella (ombrellone) are, so to speak, part of the national cultural heritage. Foreigners who simply spread out a towel on a corner or stones on the beach are often looked down upon here - even if it's only from 20 centimeters above.

What beach operators really earn

The more comfortable position, however, comes at a price. Last year, the average daily rental price for two loungers and a sun umbrella was 30 euros, according to figures from the national observatory for bathing - which exists. There are hardly any limits to the tariffs: several hundred euros are paid in beach clubs in Tuscany or on the Amalfi coast. Many families have become very wealthy with their stabilimenti.

In fact, Italy's coast belongs to the state - i.e. to everyone. However, more than half of the beaches are rented to private individuals, often for decades, often under the table and often at ridiculous prices. Some call it nepotism, others mafia structures.

On average, a lessee pays about 8,200 euros per year for the concession. The revenues are many times higher. The Centre for European Policy (CEP) recently calculated an average annual turnover of 260,000 euros per bath. Other estimates are much higher - especially since it is likely that some of the beach money is channeled past the tax office. The newspaper "Corriere della Sera" estimates the annual turnover of the entire industry at up to 30 billion euros.

"Beaches like battery cages"

Most Italians have accepted that they have to pay a lot for their time at the sea. "I don't know anything else," says Giulia Toninelli, a civil servant from Rome, on her lounger at the "Tibidabo". "I've been coming here with my parents, now with my children. That's just the price." However, there are also some who are no longer satisfied with the old system. The writer Manuela Salvi rails against "beaches like battery cages, where the chickens have to pay for their stay too". So far, however, protests have been limited.

The status quo is under threat in another way: through an EU directive that should have been implemented as early as 2006. According to this, the state concessions for beach sections should be regularly re-auctioned because they are public property - something that has been repeatedly postponed by the various governments in Rome.

One of the arguments is: We must prevent foreign corporations from taking over beaches instead of Italian families, as seen in the Gulf of Trieste two years ago when Red Bull secured 120,000 square meters. However, nationwide tenders are set to begin in January 2025.

Italy's "Umbrella Strike"

One of the biggest critics of the EU directive, when she was still in opposition, was the current Prime Minister Meloni. Therefore, beach operators are now deeply disappointed. Antonio Capacchione, president of the industry association Sindacato Italiano Balneari, complains: "The government has done nothing for two years. We sent eight letters requesting a meeting - without a response. What else can we do but strike?"

This is why Italy is seeing its first "sciopero degli ombrelloni" ("umbrella strike") in history, although some details are still unclear. It is confirmed that cash registers will open later in the morning. Possibly, regular customers will be allowed to set up their own lounger and umbrella.

Moreover, some owners, who are part of a different association, announced on Thursday that they would not participate in the strike: We cannot punish customers for Brussels or Rome. In any case, the price for lounger and umbrella remains unchanged today. The usual daily rate applies everywhere.

The following sentence will be added to the dispute: "The beach operators have proposed to temporarily lower the rental prices during the strike as a gesture of goodwill towards their customers."

Additionally, in response to the government's inaction, the beach operators have announced: "We will extend the umbrella strike beyond the initial hours if the government does not provide a clear solution to the EU directive implementation issue before the start of the 2025 tenders."