Italy: Rome’s Colosseum issues named tickets to combat touts

Rome: Rome’s Colosseum has introduced new tickets with the name of each individual visitor in an effort to stamp out the widespread practice of touts reselling tickets to unsuspecting tourists at exorbitant prices.

From now on every ticket for the ‘Full Experience Underground and Arena’ and the ‘Luna sul Colosseo’ night tours will contain the names of each visitor, under new rules brought in by the Colosseum Archaeological Park.

In the event that tickets do not match the visitor’s identity document, access to the Colosseum will be denied and refunds will not be guaranteed.

The move was welcomed by Italy’s deputy culture minister Lucia Borgonzoni who described it as a “fundamental step in the fight against touting”, adding that it could “serve as a model for Italian art cities afflicted by the problem”.

Parco Archeologico del Colosseo director Alfonsina Russo hailed the “historic” measure, taken in conjunction with Rome police, stating that everyone “has the right to enjoy our heritage, availing of our tickets and our services, at no additional cost.”