Italian Beach Clubs Suffer 25% Drop in July Attendance

As of August 2025, Italy's traditional beach club industry is facing a significant decline. Data shows that national beach club attendance was down by at least 25% in July 2025 compared to the same month in 2024. The drop was even more pronounced during the peak of the summer season, with the number of Italians traveling on the national holiday of Ferragosto (August 15) dropping by 1 million from the previous year.

The industry group Assobalneari attributes this decline to the "very critical economic situation" facing many Italian families, with rising costs of utilities, food, petrol, and housing making it difficult for them to afford a day at the beach. While unemployment is at historically low levels, real wages have dropped by 7.5% since 2021, placing Italy below the EU average for salaries adjusted for purchasing power.

As a result, many Italians have opted for cheaper vacation destinations, such as Albania or Cyprus, or have chosen to spend their summers in the mountains instead of at the beach. The fall in demand is taking a toll on Italy's important tourism industry, with knock-on effects on local economies along the peninsula's coast.

This situation has intensified a long-standing debate over the management and pricing of Italy's beach clubs. While the coastline is a public asset, the clubs are privately operated through multiyear concession agreements, often passed down through generations, that have been criticized for being too cheap and limiting public access. With new EU directives requiring public tenders for these concessions, the Italian government's proposed system of indemnifying outgoing operators has faced criticism from both Brussels and Italy's administrative courts.