Authorities are cracking down harder on illegal structures on Italy’s beaches as exorbitant prices are charged for umbrellas and lounge chairs.
In Ostia, the city beach of the capital Rome, several privately operated beach resorts have been closed on the orders of the city administration, according to dpa.
In the middle of peak season, two commercial beach resorts are currently being demolished. A public beach, which will be freely accessible to everyone at no cost, is to be built in their place. Similar efforts are underway in other regions, such as Liguria and Apulia.
Along Italy’s 7,500-kilometer Mediterranean coastline, there are thousands of privately operated beach resorts that rent out lounge chairs and umbrellas—a tradition that has developed over decades.
Currently, the average rental fee for two lounge chairs and an umbrella is about 40 euros per day. Now, however, authorities in several regions are taking action against the practice of allowing people access to the beach only if they pay for it. Another source of frustration is that high fences and walls block access in many places.
Yet, just as elsewhere in Europe, the coastline in Italy actually belongs to the state. By law, the shoreline should be freely accessible to everyone, everywhere, at no cost. However, more than half of the beaches are leased to private operators.
Officially, there are more than 7,300 so-called “Stabilimenti Balneari” in Italy. Most of them are family-run businesses.
The authorities’ stricter approach is also linked to a 2006 EU directive, the implementation of which in Rome has been repeatedly postponed.
According to the directive, government concessions for beach sections must be put out to tender on a regular basis because the land is public property. This process is now set to begin in 2027.
