The seafront of Salerno, which should represent the flagship of the city and a crossroads for tourist flows heading towards the splendid locations of the province, continues to present itself as a real Arab souk. The phenomenon of illegal street vendors, often non-EU citizens, who trade counterfeit goods, is now rampant and reached new levels of criticality yesterday afternoon.
The images posted on the social media page “What’s wrong with Salerno” document the situation: the promenade, usually frequented by Salerno residents and tourists to enjoy the sea view, has been transformed into a “carpet” of counterfeit goods. Walking along the pedestrian boulevard has become extremely difficult. Already from Piazza della Concordia in the direction of Santa Teresa, the avenue closest to the coast was invaded from the early hours of the day by illegal street vendors, who transformed the area into an open-air souk. Similar scenes were also observed on Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
Citizen protests are multiplying. Many are calling for decisive intervention to put an end to this situation, now considered intolerable. The massive presence of illegal vendors not only creates inconvenience for pedestrians, but also damages regular traders, already struggling with economic difficulties and unfair competition.
Local authorities are called to intervene urgently to restore order and legality on the Salerno seafront. It is necessary to find effective solutions to combat the phenomenon of illegal sales, protect the rights of traders and restore dignity and decorum to one of the most representative areas of the city.
The Salerno seafront must return to being a place of leisure and relaxation for citizens and tourists, without the shadows of illegality and degradation. Only in this way will the city be able to fully exploit its tourism potential and offer a positive and welcoming image to visitors.
