tourism
Bathing bans on Adriatic beaches largely lifted
View of part of the Po River that burst its banks after heavy rains. photo
© Matteo Secci/LaPresse via ZUMA Press/dpa
After the devastating storms in Emilia-Romagna, the affected regions are fighting to restart. How is the water quality there now?
Around two weeks after the devastating floods in Emilia-Romagna, swimming is allowed again on most stretches of beach in the Italian Adriatic region. The water quality on much of the coast has normalized, so that bathing bans can be lifted on Friday, a local environmental authority announced on Wednesday. After the storms with heavy rains in the area, sewage got into the sea. When examining the water quality, increased levels of E. coli bacteria and enterococci were found.
At 79 out of 98 places where tests were carried out, the values are now okay again. This means that the bathing season in the region, which is also popular with German tourists, can begin in time for the Italian national holiday on Friday, the Festa della Repubblica (Festival of the Republic).
Only in a few places in the province of Ravenna should the mayors of the respective towns and communities maintain their bathing bans, the environmental authority said. The bacteria and pathogens that were still found there can cause diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and fever. Testing will continue until the values are normal again.
Tourism in the affected region is struggling to restart after the severe storms. The Italian Ministry of Tourism, for example, encourages vacationers to visit Emilia-Romagna. The region is ready to receive tourists for the summer season – “safely and with warm hospitality” – the ministry said. The region’s tourism officer, Andrea Corsini, was also confident that the values on other stretches of sea will improve: “The coast is, as always, ready to welcome guests in the best possible way.”