It happens at every start of the season. Summer arrives, the counts on sunbeds and umbrellas are monetized and the surprise is not long in coming, ever. We go up. Every year. At least 5-10%. In fact, if the price for two sunbeds and an umbrella two years ago was 25 euros and last year after what the managers called the “concessions barrage” it had reached 30 today with the new increases for the upcoming season they can even reach 35 euros (always without considering the superlux of the gazebos, there they easily exceed 50 euros per day).
Prices
The queues and, naturally, the factories determine the variability. In Jesolo at the «Oro Beach» establishment an umbrella and 2 sunbeds in the second row on Saturday and Sunday continue to cost 28 euros like last year; same price also for the Lido «Sole e mare» while instead it goes up to 40 euros in the first rows in Piazza Trieste (last summer it was 30). Moving towards the “White House” you pay 35 euros in the second row and 50 for the super luxury gazebos (but there are discounts for residents and reductions for hours after 2pm). Towards Piazza Marconi, however, the front rows remained stable at 30 euros. The counts don’t change that much even far from the center of Jesolo’s nightlife. In Bibione «Lido del Sole» an umbrella and 2 sunbeds in the second row, on Saturday and Sunday they cost 25.50 euros, at the «Stella Maris» in Sottomarina it costs 33 euros, at the Lido of Venice it goes up to 35 euros at the «Bluemoon» (45 in the first row ) and the same price is available at «Bagno Marconi» (in July it goes up to 40 euros) as well as at Isola Verde, which has now become a «VIP» space, it reaches 40 euros together with the unattainable «Des Bains» where they come close the 70 euros.
Costs
The reason for the price increases? The reading of those who established them is varied. «We were the first and most careful to apply the Bolkestein directive (which forced member states to liberalize public beaches, now given out under concession with tenders open to all European operators, ed.) – explains Giorgio Bellemo, president of Ascot (Association of beach operators) Sottomarina, where there are 70 establishments – today Chioggia is the leading municipality for concessions. They last 20 years. But there is no correlation between the increase in the cost of concessions, equal to +25% in 2023 (and a -4% Istat adjustment in 2024 ed.) with the growth in public prices, linked instead to the expenses to be incurred for example, the Tari for us has increased by 10% and amounts to 3 euros per square meter on the beach, compared to 80 cents in Jesolo. And then there is the personnel expense, a lifeguard for the summer season costs 23 thousand euros in salary and contributions. But then there are the costs of the tower, 3,100 euros plus VAT, the defibrillator, the medical bag and the lifeguard’s uniform.”
The spaces
Yes, you might wonder, but the staff has always been there. «I pay for the lifeguards’ refresher courses and equipment out of my own pocket – explains Bellemo – with increases so how could I do otherwise? Gianfranco Prataviera, president of Bibione Spiagge adds: «We made a small increase of 5%, but this was already decided in October last year, before the concession tenders, which therefore did not influence it. Here there are 5 kilometers of beach under concession, but we have twenty years to return from the investment, it is not necessary to pass the expense on to the users”.
Meanwhile, among the mix-ups and controversies of the first days of summer, tensions related to the difficulty of “booking” a beach spot for the entire season have also exploded. This habit, rooted over time not only for hotels and B&Bs, was also widely used by the historic owners of the houses, but clashed with the new directives linked to the increase in space between umbrellas which, consequently, decreased the number of beach places. In Jesolo, for example, there are a thousand fewer. By now the front row almost reaches the water. And on some beaches the monitoring of empty spaces will become fortnightly. «There is naturally no municipal directive – says Christofer De Zotti, mayor of Jesolo – but it must be said that the reasoning makes sense. With the previous system it could happen that people arrived on the beach asking for an umbrella, only to be told “no” with several empty umbrellas in front of their eyes, which was also not a correct service to the citizen”.
