Holidays under the sign of the sting. This is supported by the National Consumer Union which processed the Istat inflation data for July to draw up the top ten price increases. At the head of the monthly top ten, 4 items related to holidays. Gold medal for Holiday villages, campsites and hostels which increase by 16.4% on June 2023. Silver medal for Domestic flights which, despite the astronomical increases already recorded in the previous months, fly further by 8.9%. On the lowest step of the podium are national holiday packages which rise by 6.3% in just one month. Just off the podium the Maritime transport which rises by 6.1%.
The biggest price increases
For the annual top 20, in the first 4 places some basic products of our diet. Sugar comes first with an increase of 47.3% on July 2022. In 2nd place is olive oil with +30.1%. Bronze medal for Potatoes with +27.3%. In 4th place is Rice (+27%) and, in fifth position, the first item linked to holidays with domestic flights taking off by 26%. “These data demonstrate the urgency of intervening on inflation and the cost of holidays, for example by prohibiting the use of algorithms to increase prices, starting with those of flights. It is not possible that the last remaining places will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. We had suspended the judgment on the Anti-Inflation Quarter pending a reference text, considering that the initiative could be very positive, albeit late. Yesterday we were finally able to view a first draft of the text and, therefore, now we can dissolve our reservation: a mockery of consumers!” he claims Massimiliano Dona, president of the National Consumer Union.
Planes and trains
An analysis by Facile.it and Consumerismo No Profit shows how train prices are still in line with previous periods, while domestic and international flights have undergone enormous increases, in some cases even over 50 %. Even those who choose to reach the summer destination with their own vehicle have to deal with possible increases in the price of fuel. According to the survey, in the last period the prices of diesel and petrol have grown, with increases which, from June to the end of July, range from 6% to 12% for diesel and from 5% to 11% for petrol. Considering a distance of around 1,000 km and a mid-range car, the increases have an impact of around 5 euros, while in the served mode the cost increases by around 13/14 euros. But prices could be significantly higher if you refuel on the motorway, where fares tend to be higher.
And again: the prices of hotels, B&Bs and holiday homes, claims Consumerismo No Profit, have now reached their historic peak. For a single night in a B&B or hotel for two in Rome, the average cost is around 150 euros. Even 180 in Milan, and paradoxically even cheaper places such as Naples and Palermo until recently seem to have become destinations only for high spenders. Book well in advance, check the offers in several periods and call the structure directly, in many cases it saves us even 50%.
The expensive beach
The free beach is little appreciated by Italians who do not want to give up the sunbed and umbrella service, yet a day on the free beach can cost up to 75% less than one at an equipped establishment. By purchasing them, an umbrella and two sunbeds can be used for more than a few seasons and have a total cost of just over 70 euros. A single day on an equipped beach currently ranges between 30 and 50 euros for two people, and only includes sunbeds and an umbrella. Finally, the typical summer product, although known for its sweetness, is particularly salty this year. Ice cream, an inevitable commodity in the summer diet of Italians, is registering significant price increases in the area.
The average price of ice cream in Italy in May recorded an average increase of +22% compared to the previous year. To weigh on the price lists of this product is the increase in the cost of raw materials, from eggs to sugar to fruit, but also the high energy cost which causes increases in production costs. Both the prices of ice cream in tubs sold in supermarkets and packaged products that can be found in bars are growing, but even the cones and bowls of ice cream parlors are undergoing significant increases, to the point that in Rome a small cone of two flavors exceeds even the 4 euros in the most touristic areas. Making ice cream at home can lead to a cost reduction of up to 80% compared to the ice cream shop. For popsicles it can even reach up to 90%.