Italy's beach managers make waves with protest against new competition laws

New compulsory tendering processes are set to upend licensing in some of Italy's most profitable resorts, and longtime operators are furious.

Transcript

00:00Italy's dynastic beach managers, also known as the Balneari, are protesting a new licensing

00:06law forcing beach club permits to go to tender as of next year.

00:10Operators such as those at Rome's metropolitan beach Ostia closed their umbrellas for two

00:15hours in defiance over Italy adhering to EU competition rules.

00:20We are talking about 30,000 companies, 300,000 workers. We are asking the government for

00:25a concrete, practical commitment. We are also asking for a congruent reimbursement and a

00:31congruent plan regarding the investments made on these tenders, both material goods and

00:39non-material goods, and not just those that have not yet been amortized.

00:44Beachgoers understand why owners are making waves.

00:50It's illegal, because these people have only a few months to work, and if you cut their

00:57legs off...

00:59Italy's coveted beach licenses have been passed down through families for decades, making

01:04it hard for new businesses to enter the sandy market. But Rome is now aiming to turn the

01:10tide on the practice.