Anyone planning a vacation in Italy this summer will probably notice something like this: just a few months before the start of the bathing season, there is a lot of noise on Italy’s beaches.
The typical pre-season atmosphere prevails on Italy’s beaches shortly after Easter: only a few guests have arrived so far, mainly pensioners who are more likely to come by for a coffee or a small snack than to swim. The sea is not yet 20 degrees warm.
“We are in no hurry to go swimming, unlike the tourists, we have the sea all year round, and so we can wait until the temperatures are more pleasant,” says Francesco, a currently not very busy waiter in the Lido Selvaggio in Sperlonga, south of Rome.
But the quiet scenery is deceptive – and could also affect the summer vacation of many travelers to Italy from Switzerland. A figurative storm is brewing over Italy’s beaches. All existing beach concessions must be re-tendered by June 2027 at the latest. This means: The usual Lido could be run by a different operator in the future.