The crisis in the beach resort industry, with many empty umbrellas and loungers in several regions of Italy, does not seem to affect Sardinia . While it's true that in some areas of the island, especially the Costa Smeralda, prices have always been high, catering to a wealthy clientele, it's also true that there are costs for all levels, from Cagliari's Poetto to the Oristano coast , where a spot with an umbrella and two loungers costs no more than 20-25 euros a day.
"Sardinia is not suffering the catastrophic effects described in recent days; in fact , in July we recorded a better flow of visitors than in 2024, " explains Claudia Comida, regional president of the SIB (Italian Beach Resort Operators' Union) . "Among other things, I think it's very important to point out that our island has many free beaches , so our situation is completely different from what we've been describing in recent days."
According to Comida, a Tortolì businesswoman, "it's wrong and deceitful to blame the drop in Italian tourism in July on beach resort rates." The problem lies elsewhere: "The real cause is that Italian families are in dire straits. Wages have halved in the last 30 years due to inflation (real wages are even lower than in 1990). Mandatory expenses like housing, insurance, and bills have reached 42.2% of total income, while taxes have reached 42.6%. Tourism is a dependent variable of the economy. Blaming beach resorts for all this is simply indecent. It's a deceitful attempt to divert public attention from the real reasons for the difficulties facing Italian families . A convenient scapegoat for avoiding addressing the country's problems."
Passenger traffic data at the three Sardinian airports also confirms the positive trend. Alghero airport recorded its best-ever result in the first seven months of the year, with approximately 985,000 passengers passing through (+8.3%) compared to the same period in 2024 (+75,493 passengers). Olbia recorded a 5% increase in July compared to 2024, already a record year . And for the week of August 15th, Cagliari airport is expected to see approximately 220,000 passengers, including arrivals and departures .
(Unioneonline)
