From right to privilege: 6 out of 10 Italians won't go on vacation. Vacations are now a class issue.

"I hate summer ," sang Bruno Martino way back in 1960. Today, he'd have good company: according to estimates from facile.it and EMG Different , six out of ten Italians won't be going on vacation. Of those four who will leave, almost all will remain on the Mediterranean shores or the mountain slopes of the Bel Paese that once was.

At least, in 1960, when summer, though hated, was for everyone. With it, the holidays: economic boom , on a Vespa or crammed into a Fiat, off to the Riviera—lido or bagno, depending on your regionalism—from Palermo to Venice.

A summer for a few

What happened in the meantime? Where has that accessible, ventilated, relaxed, earned space that vacation once was? Unfortunately, it's in the holed pockets of Italians: what goes in, goes out. Not out of carelessness, but out of necessity .

Nearly seven out of ten interviewees don't leave because they can't afford it. And those who do leave, often— €220 million has already been disbursed between January and June—do so with a loan. The average bill for accommodation and transportation alone is €900 per person . A sum that, for many, erases the very idea of leaving.

Too much, really, if the average spending is for the average Italian: a wallet that allows for, at best, hit-and-run tourism, a few weekends spent over the summer. A type of tourism that's as inimical to the environment as it is to individual well-being. But the issue isn't so simple and straightforward: there are those who don't travel, and those who are simply able to spend more to do so. But at what cost?

Beaches are becoming increasingly expensive. According to Altroconsumo , umbrella and lounger rentals have risen 5 percent, with a week on the beach now costing €212 (17 percent more than in 2024).

For "VIP" tents , from Versilia to the Costa Smeralda , prices range up to €1,500. Vacation rentals? Up to 15 percent more, with peaks of 30 percent in the last three years in Tuscany and Lazio.

Tolls, parking, food, and fuel are also rising. Overall, a week at the seaside costs a family €6,539 (+2.5%), and €4,780 in the mountains (+2.2%). It goes without saying that over 40 percent of Italians choose short vacations (3–5 days), often within Italy.

Added to this is another invisible but growing factor: loneliness . For those who stay, summer is often synonymous with isolation, especially for the most vulnerable. And even for those who leave, especially with children , the right to a vacation becomes more complicated: between extra costs, lack of services, and family entanglements.

A right to be defended

Rising temperatures , in short, aren't the only factors in this scorching summer: those who stay home are also increasing, as are spending more for those who can afford to escape. Yet, the right to leisure time is enshrined in the Italian Constitution ( Article 36) and recognized as fundamental by all international labor conventions.

But to make it real, you also need worthy work: a job that can earn and buy that free time. Under the sun, nothing new. Or maybe it is. It's getting hotter and hotter. But many remain pale .