Empty beaches, is it all the fault of high beach umbrella prices? Beach workers: "The reality is that families can't make ends meet."

Beach vacations haven't been rosy so far : June was a little better, but July was decidedly poor . Now, the expectations of beach resort owners, hoteliers, and those working in the hospitality sector are all pinned on Ferragosto , the peak week of the summer holidays. However, according to their testimonies, it won't be enough to make up for the July decline, especially in certain areas, such as Puglia.

“This year, more than ever, beachgoers have come to the seaside only on weekends. For the rest of the week, the rows of beach umbrellas remain closed and the establishments are empty . This phenomenon is not due to the 'expensive beach umbrella' , as some are trying to say. Rather, the reality of the situation is being misunderstood: the real problem for Italian families is that they can't make it to the end of the month ,” says Antonio Capacchione, president of Sib Confcommercio , describing to Adnkronos a situation at the national level, even if it is patchy.

"Saying that beaches are empty because the rates are high is a joke, it's dishonest. It's trying to find a scapegoat," insists the entrepreneur who owns a beach resort on Margherita di Savoia beach, in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, where, as elsewhere, the situation "is widespread because," he explains, "some towns in Salento, like Gallipoli or Porto Cesario, or Sardinia, are exceptions that prove the rule. This year, the Italian holiday season is a litmus test of a country that is in difficulty ." The appeal coming from the SIB is for tax relief, that is, "to reduce the tax burden on families, especially since it's in July that the Tari bills and taxes more generally are paid."

'On August 15th, it leads us to hope that since there was no work in July, especially on weekdays, there will be a normal, if not excessive, presence," he adds.

But beach resort owners are very concerned because, in some areas, bad weather has compounded Italians' limited spending power . The Tuscan and Ligurian coasts are a prime example. "July was a disaster across Tuscany due to the bad weather that hit especially on weekends," reports Federico Pieragnoli, president of Sib Toscana . "These weather conditions compounded families' lack of money and the problem of uncertainty due to the war, tariffs, and rising bills... so instead of 10 days at the beach, you're spending five, those who spent a week will spend three, and those who spent three will most likely spend none," observes a disheartened Pieragnoli, who laments a significant decline in the influx of Italian tourists in Versilia, as well as high-spending Russians and Americans.

"Now, however," Pieragnoli continues, "it's going quite well. The sun is shining again, and above all, the high temperatures are back, which bodes well for a mid-August holiday at the beach. And we could make up for it in September if the weather holds up. We're fortunate to have beaches close to cities of art, such as Pisa, which is only 10 kilometers away, and this can help," Pieragnoli concludes.

The Romagna Riviera is no exception, being frequented by a middle-class clientele who "instead of coming for a week now come for one or two weekends, therefore one or two nights. After all, the middle class suffers and we see it from the lack of holidays for grandparents with children in June because the grandparents keep that few pennies aside or give them to their children" claims Simone Battistoni, president of Sib Emilia Romagna .

Battistoni, however, predicts a "good August" and obviously a "good Ferragosto" after a positive June trend and an average 15% drop on the Romagna coast, from Cesenatico to Cattolica, including the towns of Rimini and Riccione.

And this "means," Battistoni adds, "that perhaps some establishments with very good marketing skills have increased by three or five percent, while others have decreased by 30 percent, perhaps because the facilities are older or offer fewer services." But most of the Riviera's establishments, it must be said, offer a range of activities and services that make them particularly attractive. "In many establishments, including mine," Battistoni claims, "you can take pedal boat rides, hot showers, enjoy hot tubs, and even attend spinning, Pilates, yoga, and step classes at very competitive prices," not to mention the entertainment, bike rentals, and a library corner, all included in the price of the umbrella and loungers.