The stabilimenti balneari, a staple of Italian beach life, are currently at the center of a heated national debate. These iconic beach establishments, long managed by families and passed down through generations, are facing a potential upheaval due to new EU regulations requiring open competition for beach concessions. This move, long resisted by Italy, has sparked protests across the country as stabilimento owners fear losing their livelihoods to external competitors.
The current controversy
As of August 2024, Italy’s stabilimenti balneari are in turmoil due to an EU directive that mandates that beach concessions be awarded through a competitive bidding process starting in 2025. This decision, delayed for years by successive Italian governments, has finally come to a head: the directive aims to liberalize the market, potentially opening the doors for new businesses at the expense of those who have traditionally managed these establishments. Owners argue that they stand to lose their investments and the cultural heritage associated with these family-run businesses. The issue has become highly political, with widespread protests including symbolic strikes, where thousands of stabilimenti closed their umbrellas for hours in a show of defiance.
A brief history of stabilimenti balneari
The stabilimenti balneari as we know them today, have a rich history dating back to the early 19th century. The first official Italian stabilimento opened in Viareggio in 1827, primarily as a place where the wealthy could enjoy the sea in privacy. This concept quickly spread, with new stabilimenti popping up along Italy’s coasts, each offering services like changing rooms, deckchairs, and shaded areas under beach umbrellas.
In the 20th century, particularly during the economic boom of the 1950s and 1960s, these beach clubs became more accessible to the middle class, solidifying their place in Italian culture. Soon, they turned into social hubs where families and friends gathered summer after summer, creating a sense of community and continuity.
For many Italians, stabilimenti balneari are synonymous with summer: the sight of neatly aligned umbrellas, the smell of sunscreen, and the taste of a cornetto Algida evoke memories of carefree days by the sea. These establishments have become a part of the Italian identity, and are a true blend of relaxation, socializing, and tradition.
However, this cherished tradition is now under threat. The potential changes in the management of beach establishments could alter the landscape of Italy’s beaches, both literally and culturally: while the need for market liberalization is understood, the impact on the small, family-run businesses that have become integral to Italian coastal life could be significant. On one hand, liberalization could encourage competition and help contain prices, which have become exceedingly high in some areas — Alassio has recently obtained the dubious crown of “sea town with the most expensive beaches” in the country, with a week in an establishment reaching the average price of 392 euro (around 430 USD), against a 226 euro (247 USD) national average. On the other, the risk of seeing stabilimenti balneari disappear, at least in their most traditional form, is a risk that many do not want to take.
Let’s hope for the best
But change is not necessarily for the worst, and perhaps — we all hope — a happy medium can be achieved here, a meeting point between contemporary approaches to regulations and concessions, and the safeguarding of such a traditional part of our summers, something that helped also many people from abroad creating beautiful and special memories of their Italian vacations. Only time will tell…
