In the height of summer, the image of semi-deserted beaches is making the rounds on the web. Actor Alessandro Gassmann has voiced the discontent, pointing the finger at beach resort managers on X: "Perhaps you've gone overboard with the prices? Lower them and things will improve." The actor's "perhaps" leaves room for multiple interpretations: is it just a matter of costs, or is the way of vacationing changing?
Decline up to 25% in some areas
According to the Italian Beach Union, the national average shows a 15% drop, with peaks of 25% in Calabria and Emilia-Romagna. "In July, there was a decline, especially on weekdays," explains Simone Battistoni, president of the beach resorts in Emilia-Romagna. "Consumption is down, and vacations are getting shorter: from two weeks to one, or just the weekend." The phenomenon also extends to Versilia, the Lazio coasts, and those of Calabria.
Not just the sea: agritourism and "hit-and-run" tourism
The crisis does not spare the hinterland. Agriturist (Confagricoltura) reports increasingly shorter bookings, of two or three nights, and a rise in short and itinerant vacations. "Traditional seaside tourism is declining," says the mayor of Cetraro, Giuseppe Aieta, "but the marina remains full thanks to low rates."
The response from Minister Santanché
No crisis, according to Tourism Minister Daniela Santanché: "Talking about an emergency is misleading. June and July saw us at the top in the Mediterranean, with average rates lower than Greece and Spain."
For the government, the data still shows a good performance in the sector.
Experts: "Tourism in transformation"
According to Gabriele Manella, a tourism sociologist at the University of Bologna, the decline is the result of multiple factors: high prices, shorter vacations, emerging new destinations, and alternative forms of tourism such as slow or itinerant tourism.
"I wouldn't say the Romagna model is in crisis," he emphasizes. "It has overcome worse challenges and will remain competitive."
Mountains on the rise and climate change
The scorching heat and the allure of alpine landscapes are driving many tourists to the mountains. In Trentino-Alto Adige and the Dolomites, record inflows are being recorded, so much so that the Committee for the Protection of the Dolomite Passes has provocatively asked to renounce the Unesco recognition.
A summer yet to be written
Whether it will be remembered for the queues in the mountains or the empty beaches will be revealed in the coming weeks. Summer is not over: between high prices, new trends, and climate change, Italian tourism is facing a phase of transformation that could reshape its future.
