Italian beach resort offers tourists bad weather refunds

A seaside resort in Italy is offering a 'sun or your money back' deal to boost tourist numbers.

The tourist board in the north-eastern town of Jesolo, near Venice, says it will reimburse holidaymakers the cost of renting a sun lounger and umbrella at both of its beaches if it rains.

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According to the Local, the cost of renting a sun lounger for a day is between 13 and 18 euros.

The scheme has been dubbed "tan or your money back" and beach-goers will need to reserve a space online.

On its website, Jesolo Tourism says: "In order to receive a refund, weather conditions must include rain of at least 3 mm between 11 am and 5 pm.

"This will be verified by the ARPAV website, with rainfall bulletins for Cavallino. If the conditions above are met, the client who has not used their beach space will be entitled to a full refund of the amount paid by credit card."

La Nuova Venezia reports that Jesolo has seen an 18 per cent drop in tourists thanks to the wet and windy weather it has experienced in June.

A similar deal was offered in 2014 when a summer of storms and floods put many people off visiting northern Italy.

Travellers enjoyed up to 50 per cent off hotels across Lignano Sabbiadoro in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in September 2014.

Luigi Sutto, manager of the Athena hotel told Italian newspaper La Stampa: "We are trying to make up for an unlucky season. In the absence of any alternative to offer people who arrive and find water, we are focusing on a delicate argument: the wallet."

But while many hoteliers believed the discounts could help attract more tourists, Mattia Detoni, owner of Olivo Arco Hotel on Lake Garda said: "The problem is not so much the price, I can even charge 20 euro a night. But for what? To stay closed in their rooms?"

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