Sea, golden sand, jagged coasts, wide or more intimate and private beaches, surrounded by a suggestive landscape between uncontaminated nature and majestic rocky ridges overlooking the sea. Basilicata is the perfect place to spend a beach holiday.
Chosen by Italian and foreign tourists, but also by young people and families from Lucania and Puglia, for the variety of proposals offered by a region bathed by two seas: the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian. And at fairly low prices, it clearly all depends on the type of service that customers require and the place in which to spend their days at the seaside. We start from Metaponto where the summer season began four weeks ago for Andrea Gnoni, owner of an establishment frequented in this period not only by Italian tourists but also by Germans and French. But if June is the month of foreigners, «in July and August the beaches of Metaponto – reports the owner – will be frequented mostly by people coming from neighboring towns, such as Matera, or from nearby Puglia. Families with children who love tranquility, sand and the sea. Prices vary. In the low season the prices for umbrellas and sunbeds are around 12-15 euros per day, and vary according to the row chosen and the number of chairs and sunbeds requested. Same thing in August, we don’t apply a surcharge.”
The length of stay “does not exceed seven days, reaching a maximum of ten days – he underlines – unlike what happened fifteen years ago when people booked houses for one or two months, or for the entire holiday period” .
In Policoro for Massimo Delorenzo the summer season starts today, and «we already have lots of reservations. In June there are many tourists who spend the day at the seaside, while in July they also stay for the whole month. The clientele is very heterogeneous, but they are mainly from Puglia who have bought a second home. Few from abroad, because Policoro’s problem is the lack of accommodation facilities, there are only two hotels with which we work, and it becomes difficult to attract foreign tourists, except those visiting Matera who choose Policoro as a place of passage.” The prices applied per day in the low season June-mid July are 10-15 euros per day, in the high season they reach 20 euros for the whole day, while the seasonal is 700-800 euros. At Nova Siri Anna Dilena will start the summer season between the end of June and the beginning of July, and will close the factory on September 15th.
«We come here – he says – mainly tourists from neighboring towns and from nearby Puglia and locals who pay for the entire season, 430 euros for the first row of umbrellas, 400 euros from the second onwards. There are also many tourists who return for holidays in their country of origin. The prices we apply are quite low: normally in June 10 euros per day, to 13th in July and 15th in August.” In Scanzano Jonico Giuseppe Ferrara, owner of a beach club, has been working «for two weeks already with tourists coming from the “luxury” accommodation facilities in Matera. They are mostly foreigners, in particular Americans, French, Argentinians, who come to live an experience at the seaside. In the next few months, however, we will have Italians from Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto and Puglia, as well as from neighboring areas, who will stay on average for one, maximum two days, reaching a maximum of 5-10 days. The prices we apply for the low season are 15-20 euros per day, in the high season from 20-40 euros, depending on the choice of services. Finally, according to the forecasts – reports the vice president of Confindustria Giovani – for the next few months we will have an increase in attendance of 20%, thanks to the various awards that our beach club has obtained at a national level”.
Alessandro Quaranta, owner of an establishment in Scanzano Jonico, where the clientele is heterogeneous, with tourists arriving from abroad and from all over Basilicata and Puglia, and who applies prices ranging from 12 euros for the low season up to 18 euros in August for the whole day. «I hope that the season ends soon – he says – we start today and we are short of staff in a structure that should have 30-35 employees and which finds itself having to face the summer period with a third of its staff. Professionalism is lacking. Nobody wants to work», he concludes. From the Ionian Sea we finally arrive in Maratea where the summer season has started, but we are waiting for the weather to improve to work at full capacity. This was stated by the owner of an establishment Roberto Schettino which hosts mainly foreign tourists, English and German in particular, while July and August are the months for Italians. The prices we apply vary from 18 euros for the whole day in the low season up to 22-23 euros per day in the month of August”.
