The evolution of seaside tourism in the adriatic coast of Abruzzo: from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century

Seaside tourism originated in the wealthiest and most advanced regions of northern Europe in the 17th century, spreading to Mediterranean countries approximately a century later. Both medical research on the benefits of the sea and the progressive economic and infrastructural expansion allowed the adoption of this type of tourism that has progressively passed from an elite habit to a mass practice. In this framework, we examine the case of the Abruzzo region in Italy on the central coast of the Adriatic Sea. We illustrate, in particular, the evolution of four coastal municipalities whose economic development encouraged the first public and private initiatives for tourism purposes. In the historical reconstruction, important roles are played by the events of the Unification of Italy (1861) and by the social and consumption changes of Italians.