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