Italian seaside resort promises rain refunds

Stormy skies needn't mean wasted cash for Jesolo's beach-goers

A seaside resort in Italy is offering sun worshippers a refund if rain ruins their day at the beach.

The tourist board in the north-eastern town of Jesolo, near Venice, says it'll reimburse the cost of renting a lounger and sun umbrella at both of its beaches under a new scheme dubbed "tan or your money back", The Local website reports. Most Italian beaches charge visitors in the summer, with only a narrow stretch of sand at the shoreline available for those unwilling to shell out.

Beachgoers who want to benefit will have to reserve a space online and pay an extra euro on top of the standard cost, as a kind of rain insurance. The whole amount will be reimbursed if hourly rainfall exceeds 3mm (0.1in) between 11:00 and 17:00, according to the Jesolo Beaches website.

It's part of a range of measures that Jesolo's tourist board has introduced in the hope of beckoning more visitors. The area has experienced a decidedly grim June weather-wise, with wind and rain being blamed for an 18% drop in tourists. The regional Nuova Venezia news website declared it "the worst June of the past 20 years".

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