Proposals to let tourists take picnics to private beaches in Puglia threaten the region's "image of excellence", according to beach club operators. Governor of the southern Italian region of Puglia, Antonio Decaro, called for visitors to be allowed to bring food and drink from home in a Facebook video on 4 July.
Decaro said: "We are working to make the sea, more and more, an experience of freedom, for Apulians and for those who come from outside to discover this region. The sea is a common commodity, it cannot become a luxury."He added: "No one can stop you from eating food on the beach that you've brought from home".
