We are close to the eleventh consecutive summer season in which the Latina coast could be decorated with the blue flag, the prestigious recognition that certifies the quality of beaches and bathing waters, to which has also been added in recent years the recognition of paediatricians for child-friendly beaches.
Tributes that would make you think about the right driving force for truly quality tourism after years of seasons made do between Covid and the usual chronic unresolved problems of the marina. However, with the passing years and the alternating political seasons, there is no evidence that the approach to the Latina coast is also changing, which is always expressed in one word: improvisation. And the fact that in recent days it is above all exponents close to the centre-right such as Salvatore De Monaco and others who photograph the glimpses of degradation (some shown in the photos on these pages) says a lot about how a certain discontent spreads even in political circles that should be close to the ‘administration.
The problems are always the same: disconnected pavements, dirty bins, streets invaded by sand, walkways without maintenance that should be replaced, rusty furniture, red construction tape in some parts between one dune and another. The entrance to the Latina marina from Casilina continues to be inadequate for a capital and seaside city: a rusty bridge stands out. Continuing and entering from that side of the beach we find broken pavements, irrigation systems destroyed and thrown into flowerbeds, dry and unadorned flowerbeds, and many works to be made safe with barriers (holes, some wooden planks of the walkway shelters torn up), without wanting to consider the now chronic problems in Piazzale dei Navigatori with the often vandalized fountain.
In the city council on Wednesday there was talk of deseasonalization of the structures both in section A and in section B, but it seems paradoxical that they are thinking of keeping the structures open even in winter in this setting which certainly does not entice tourists: the Latina seafront presents there has been a situation of widespread degradation for some time now, demonstrating a serious lack of decorum and ordinary and extraordinary maintenance and severely penalizing what should be its tourist vocation.
And this year, the state of the infrastructure has invariably remained the same with the Mascarello Bridge banned and the port of Rio Martino struggling with silted seabeds throughout the year. A general state that does not stimulate the economy and does not help beach and hotel operators and citizens who rent houses during the summer: with a poorly maintained coastline, almost abandoned, faced with prices and rents as high as in other seaside cities , the citizen withdraws, preferring other destinations.
