Tourism in Forte dei Marmi: what future?

TOURISM IN FORTE DEI MARMI

In previous issues, the professional spoke to us about the real-estate market, construction of the highest quality, green building and other interesting subjects related to his work.

This time, we met with him to ask for his assessment, from the vantage point of his privileged position, of the results for the summer of 2023 in Forte dei Marmi.

Our meeting produced, on the one hand, a very severe analysis and, on the other, a sort of outpouring about a series of matters that, in his view, urgently need to be addressed in order to improve Forte dei Marmi’s offering.

In recent years, we have witnessed important changes in our community. International brands, such as Baglioni, have acquired important hotel properties that had been abandoned for years. They are now building sites, providing work for many professionals, and will soon reopen to offer services that were previously lacking in our area.

Some beach establishments have made considerable investments, acquiring an international profile also through the new services they have introduced, while others have joined forces and doubled the number of restaurant covers and beach tents, and built spectacular swimming pools.

This year, Marchesi arrived, as did Maison Dior, and Hermès will soon follow. The municipal administration is considering redeveloping the old cinema spaces in the heart of the historic centre and creating new squares.

I have lived and worked in Forte dei Marmi for 30 years, and I am fully aware that, after the phenomenon of Russian clientele twenty years ago, this place is now full of people from all over the world.

Understanding why they visit Forte and what they expect to find in this area is complicated, because one would need to know more about their habits, their countries of origin and the places they frequent. One would need, as I have done, to travel with them.

There are many luxury centres around the world, and this clientele is accustomed to visiting them all: they arrive here after passing through Dubai, London, Cyprus, the Côte d’Azur, the Costa Smeralda, Capri, Portofino, Tel Aviv, Miami and many other destinations.

What is certain is that many of them bring substantial capital into the area, contributing to the growth of the community and the prosperity of all the sector’s operators, from entrepreneurs to their employees. This sets Forte apart from the neighbouring municipalities.

This year, however, something happened that drove away at least 20% of high-spending tourists: many villas remained unlet, many restaurants did not do particularly well, many beach tents stood empty and many shops saw sales decline.

I spoke with some of those who said, “I will never return to Forte,” to understand the reasons for their dissatisfaction, and realised that the lack of a vision for the future plays a part in this situation.

Many people come here to experience the town, where, in addition to luxury-brand boutiques, they would also like to find the peace of being able to enjoy themselves without that whole series of excessive prohibitions, restrictions and restrictive ordinances.

The beach and the sea are certainly not like those in Sardinia, so, in some way, this must be compensated for.

For tourists, holidays in Forte are also understood as a long succession of parties and events, which unfortunately have been severely curtailed from this year onward.

The Bocelli family, which has always brought world-famous stars to the town, has “moved away” and is holding its events elsewhere this year. The beach installations that the nearby Twiga, in the neighbouring municipality, can arrange are not permitted in Forte, and the events surrounding Maitó and Bagno Annetta have left considerable discontent.

Certain sections of the press have also helped to spread a “fear of celebrating”.

As if that were not enough, a municipal ordinance issued on 20 July led to the cancellation of the final events of the summer.

Not to mention the numerous parking fines, when systems used in other parts of the world could instead be installed to allow payment by app, enabling people to pay from their mobile phones—even from a restaurant table—and avoid expired parking sessions and the resulting fines.

And for anyone who wants to build a villa, everything is a slalom between restrictions, impediments and technicalities. The “housing plan” no longer exists, and the recent Operational Plan has imposed considerable restrictions and eliminated building-rights coefficients.

Many villas in Roma Imperiale have lost millions of euros in value. Technicians, construction companies and the associated economic activity have lost endless work opportunities.

Like many others, my company has helped bring numerous wealthy clients to Forte over the years. They have made investments worth tens of millions, much of which has been redistributed locally through the related activity in construction and the real-estate market.

We do not administer the area, but we bring many high-spending people here, and we know what services they expect to receive and why they may stay in Forte or leave it.

We listen to them and understand how easy it is for them to go elsewhere without giving it a second thought. These clients are citizens of the world, and they sow where they find fertile ground.

What we often underestimate is that the wealth of this area comes from the capital that a certain international clientele has brought here. Without these clients, Forte would be like Ronchi—or it could enter a period of decline that would make it like Ronchi, just as happened in Ronchi.

Without reflection and multi-year planning, it is impossible to forecast how next season will develop. But I am certainly not the only sector operator who is concerned and feels it necessary to highlight his perception of the reality we are experiencing, in the hope that we can take a few steps back so that the area can take many more steps forward.

Time moves in only one direction, and in 2023 we should put aside nostalgia for a time that can never return. We are no longer in the age of the Agnellis, and Forte will never again be the town it was in the 1960s. Nor are the tourists what they once were.

Everything changes from season to season, and we must be very careful to interpret this change in the interests of the entire community.

Fabrizio Zanetti Real Estate Advisor and Roma Imperiale Luxury Services www.realestateversilia.com www.romaimperialecostruzioni.com