Anyone who reserves the beach with objects without being present risks a fine of up to 1,000 euros. Many vacationers leave their bathing suits for days and tie them to umbrellas with padlocks. This “place marking” on free beaches is illegal, police said. Crowds of tourists besiege small bays in Liguria in the early hours of the morning to reserve a place for themselves, relatives and friends.
In Marina di Campo on the island of Elba, the coast guard confiscated dozens of loungers, parasols and air mattresses. The police tried to trace the owners. Several people were fined, sparking protests. Bathers reported that no one had informed them that it was a criminal offense to leave bathing suits on the beach.
Tourism boom in Italy
In the seaside resorts of Sabaudia and Gaeta, the police confiscated parasols that had been illegally rented out on the freely accessible beaches. From June to August this year, 131,000 square meters of free beaches and certain stretches of sea previously illegally occupied were returned to the public, reported Cosimo Nicastro, spokesman for the Coast Guard, according to Milan daily Corriere della Sera. 31,645 controls were carried out in 520 communities. 696 criminal offenses were found, and there were fines of almost 366,000 euros.
Italy is experiencing a tourism boom this summer like in the golden days before the pandemic. The sometimes high prices of the Stabilimenti – the beach resorts where you can rent loungers and parasols – are a hot topic every summer. Therefore, bathers are increasingly looking for space on the free beaches, which, however, are becoming increasingly scarce from year to year.
Source: Nachrichten
