Italian beach resorts strike: Tourists face disruption amid protest

Employees of popular Italian holiday resorts began a two-hour strike on Friday, August 9, impacting tourists vacationing there. According to industry representatives, this is currently a mild form of protest against the stalemate in talks with the government regarding concessions that expired last year.

Entrepreneurs accuse the government of not providing any guarantees for the future of the thousands of beach leaseholders who do not know whether their concessions will be extended or given to others.

The key issue in this dispute is the infringement procedure initiated by the European Commission against Italy for not holding tenders for such concessions, as required by an EU directive.

Italians' anger and dissatisfaction also stem from new regulations on beach business concessions. These regulations concern places that offer sunbed and umbrella rentals and snacks. The new regulations aim to change the system of granting business licenses. According to "The Sun," Italians fear they will not have the opportunity to pass these businesses down from generation to generation. The biggest concern for entrepreneurs is that the government has yet to take the necessary steps and engage in the expected talks.

Although the strike is mild and supposed to last only two hours, unions threaten protests that could last throughout August. They announce that during this time, they will not come to work. Tourists feel the strikes most since this is the peak holiday season when tourists eagerly use the services of Italian beach businesses.

Not everyone has the same opinion on this matter. Among the leaseholders, there are divisions – three organizations representing the industry have announced that they do not support the delayed opening of the beaches and will not join the strike, as they do not want it to be at the expense of tourists. They also called the protest a "show."

Divisions between strikers and non-strikers exist in places like Rimini in Emilia-Romagna, the Italian vacation capital, where tens of thousands of tourists from many countries stay.

People staying by the sea are informed about the protest action. Posters announcing it are hung at the beach entrances, and announcements are also made by the sea through loudspeakers. Some beach leaseholders have announced that those who come early in the morning, despite the strike, will be offered a morning coffee and croissant.