Once upon a time there was that bagnino, the hero of the Italian summer. It was as much a part of the sweltering heat on the Mediterranean peninsula as the Italians’ desire for water. Generations of beach vacationers traveling from far away also know him well: the lifeguard, tanned in a red tank top and blowing a whistle about the enjoyment of the bathers on his section of the beach spiaggia watches. Now 4,000 lifeguards are desperately needed for the 2024 beach season in Italy. The almost mythological figure of the boy bagnino appears to be in danger of extinction.
The shortage of skilled workers is also a big issue in Italy. There is a shortage of programmers, mechatronics engineers, IT people, nurses, plumbers and doctors. The thriving luxury industry is desperately looking for seamstresses, goldsmiths and leather craftsmen. More than a million vacancies cannot currently be filled, complains Italian Labor Minister Marina Calderone. Now there is also a risk of a bottleneck in a core business of the extremely important tourism industry: the operation of the 15,000 stabilimenti balneari along the Italian Mediterranean coast. Of all things, the longed-for beach is a hotspot for the shortage of skilled workers.
Nowhere is the labor market more tense in this regard than on the Adriatic around Rimini, the center of this nationwide crisis. Recruitment of staff for the start of the season in May is not progressing. “Our huge problem is that no one introduces themselves to us,” says Vainer Nanni, tenant of Bagno 128 Novello in Rimini. The regional employment agency’s attempts to attract candidates via social networks also came to nothing. Her initiative only received 17 likes on Facebook and was hardly shared. Nanni says: “It’s not about the pay.” The supply of summer jobs now exceeds demand many times over. For patented lifeguards, the monthly salary is 1,500 to 1,800 euros, which is an extremely attractive salary for Italy’s young talent.
“There are too few young people in the country today,” complains Primo Olivieri
However, the alarm calls are not surprising. Just in time for Easter, the cries of lamentation have been rising from the 3,270 kilometers of sandy beaches in Italy for a few years now. Social change is blamed for the unfortunate situation. On the one hand, the severe birth crisis in Italy is noticeable. “There are too few young people in the country today,” complains Primo Olivieri, head of marketing at the service provider Romagna Spiagge. In addition, the seasonal workers who came from Eastern Europe before the pandemic and never returned afterwards are staying away. The tourism industry is also increasingly suffering from competition from industry and trade that offer jobs all year round. The beach resorts are losing potential applicants in droves due to the restructuring of university courses. It has led to the elimination of the traditional semester break. And of course it is said that the younger generation simply doesn’t feel like spending long days on the beach at 39 degrees. “Many people no longer need it because their parents support them financially,” says Olivieri.
However, the industry is really in trouble because of the increased demands placed on lifeguards. After several postponements, regulations already passed in 2016 will come into force on April 1st. The minimum age for bagnini will be increased to 18 years and the mandatory preparatory courses will be extended threefold. In the future, the lifesaver test will also have to be repeated every five years. Without a lifeguard in a red dress, the beach resorts are threatened with closure.
The idea is of course unreal in view of the primal Italian longing for the sea, which was indelibly sung by Adriano Celentano in “Azzurro” and in “Mare Mare” by Luca Carboni. To secure their brilliant business, Italy’s beach tenants will have to come up with something.