The mayor of the Italian city of Bacoli announced that 80% of the coastline will become a free beach, after a tourist was offended by the administrator of a spa establishment.
The mayor of the Italian city of Bacoli announced that 80% of the town’s coastline will become a free beach. The announcement came after a tourist was offended by the administrator of a spa establishment. The woman had only asked for access to the toilet. Josi Della Ragione, the mayor of the city in the Naples area, promised a “revolution” on the coast.
The woman was on a free beach in Bacoli. She went to the bar of a nearby spa where she had a drink. When she asked to go to the toilet, the administrator insulted her, calling her a “beggar”, writes Mediafax.
The man would have added that the mayor wants to expand the free beaches because he likes this category of people. The woman contacted Della Ragione directly via social media to recount the incident.
The mayor’s reaction: “80% of the coast will be free”
Josi Della Ragione expressed outrage at the lack of education and abuse of power behind the incident. The mayor explained that the current beach administrators are former abusive occupants of the coastline. They would have received the concessions precisely because of their status.
Della Ragione announced that 80% of the city’s coastline will become free beach or landscaped free beach. The new concessions for kiosks and establishments will be granted exclusively through public auctions, the mayor said.
Harsh accusations against beach managers
The mayor accused the concessionaires of paying employees below the minimum wage or hiring them illegally. He also said that some administrators forbade parents from bringing children’s food to the beach. Della Ragione also criticized the high prices charged for lounge chairs and folding chairs over the years. The mayor also mentioned the illegal parking lots on the seashore, which would have operated without taxes to the state.
The dispute in Bacoli adds to a wider wave of discontent over Italy’s private beach clubs. A similar incident involving food parcels brought from home has sparked controversy in Puglia.
Private concessions cover between 20% and 70% of the Italian coastline, depending on the region. The costs of sunbeds and umbrellas have risen steadily in recent years, fueling demands for more free access to the sea.
