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Proposals to let tourists take picnics to private beaches in Puglia threaten the region’s “image of excellence”, according to beach club operators.
Governor of the southern Italian region of Puglia, Antonio Decaro, called for visitors to be allowed to bring food and drink from home in a Facebook video on 4 July.
Decaro said: “We are working to make the sea, more and more, an experience of freedom, for Apulians and for those who come from outside to discover this region. The sea is a common commodity, it cannot become a luxury.”
He added: “No one can stop you from eating food on the beach that you’ve brought from home”.
The operators’ association, Assoturismo has linked beachgoer picnics to littering and lower quality standards.
Nicola Ragno, president of the Assoturismo branch in Vieste, told The Times:“It’s not about just a sandwich: some people think they can bring all sorts of food with them, starter, main, fruit — whole meals.
“These situations can’t be tolerated because there are lots of other customers who don’t appreciate it.”
Around 33 per cent of Italy’s coastline is currently leased to private beach clubs offering bar and restaurant services.
Although Italian law allows picnics, beach clubs often deny tourists from entering with “outside” food and drink.
“They talk about ‘damaged image’ if someone dares to eat a sandwich or focaccia brought from home, in a private lido,” said Decaro.
Massimiliano Dona, of the National Consumers Union, told The Times: “Beaches are public areas managed by private operators; they are not private property.”
He added that visitors had the right to bring their own food and drinks and refuse to hand over picnic bags.
Picnics aren’t the only problem facing Italian beaches as sunbed prices soar.
According to a survey by consumer group Altroconsumo, the price of sunbeds and umbrellas across 222 beach resorts has increased by 6 per cent, on average, since 2025, and by 24 per cent more compared to five years ago.
Read more: Italians leave local beaches as summer sunbed costs spike
Dining and Cooking