PISA MARINA. «Our customers have placed their trust in us again. There is no shortage of work, but the fear is very high that this could really be the last year for us, without forgetting that there are many jobs at risk, among those employed on the beaches and those who work in related hospitality businesses. Not to mention the related industries. Bolkestein’s process, among various sentences, is moving forward quickly and we don’t see anything good on the horizon.” To turn the spotlight on bathing establishments again is Fabrizio Fontani, long-time entrepreneur, owner of two Bagni in Tirrenia, and president of the Sib (Italian Bathing Union) member of Confcommercio Province of Pisa.
On the sea, the season started off on the right foot once again. Reservations are running and the numbers, in terms of attendance, give rise to hopes of equaling last year’s successes. Most of the factories opened as early as May 1st, but morale among the workers is very low.
«The risk we run in light of the facts is very high. On the beaches of the Pisan coast – explains Fontani – there is the work of many families of entrepreneurs who over the years have created opportunities for others too. If politics remains immobile we will all go home, without a guarantee, without even the slightest compensation and this is unfair, because we have always provided a service appreciated by the whole community”.
Fontani, does everything depend on the auctions?
«Of course, this is our sword of Damocles. We are living this very long phase, for years now, in absolute uncertainty. There is no precise regulation that protects us. We face the situation day by day as if we were in the middle of a fog. There is a succession of sentences that contradict each other. In the meantime, we continue to wait for a strong response from the government to put an end to this agony which has gone on for too many years and we are truly tired.”
How does a seaside entrepreneur deal with his daily commitment?
«Very bad, thinking every day that this could be the last season, but we must commit ourselves anyway, with the usual determination and professionalism, because the customers deserve our respect. But as entrepreneurs we really have empty batteries. We go from one meeting to another, between lawyers and accountants, while our job would be to think about investing for the future and improving our companies.”
A situation that blocks investments?
“It’s natural. I challenge anyone to reach for their wallet not knowing the end of this whole story. Ours is a shocking picture from every point of view, because beach establishments are companies that need continuous new blood, improvements and above all stability to offer to employees, who are the primary resources to be able to carry forward all our services”.
Are there already repercussions on local activities?
“Absolutely yes. Just as it is difficult to make investments, at the same time it is problematic to think about making long-term projects on human resources and so many realize the precariousness and prefer to focus their attention on other sectors. Thus professionalism and competence are lost. But not only. There are those who would like, despite everything, to continue their business, but the credit system no longer grants anything: the banks don’t give us mortgages because the concession deadline has formally arrived. And we often have to commit personal resources to meet every need.”
What do you expect at this point?
«What we have always asked for: a definitive word from Rome that can put an end to all this chaos. The government must absolutely keep its commitments. Increasingly dark clouds are gathering over our future, fueled by a regulatory chaos that is leading each Municipality to legislate on its own, in the absence of univocal national legislation. It is unthinkable in mid-2024, with auctions just around the corner, to still have to ask politicians to act.”
What is his appeal?
“We don’t have any more time, the government must realize this and act accordingly, but immediately because there are families and jobs at risk, not only on the Pisan coast, but throughout Italy.”
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