Tourist protest in the Colosseum: Vance visit ensures chaos!

Tourist protest in the Colosseum: Vance visit ensures chaos!

Kolosseum, Rom, Italien - A planned visit by US Vice President James David Vance in the Colosseum caused tumultural scenes on Saturday afternoon. Due to his visit, the famous sight was closed at 5 p.m., two hours before the regular closing time from 7:15 p.m. Hundreds of tourists who were waiting for the admission protested loudly and shouted "Shame, let's go in!". Vance had to cancel his visit, so that only his wife was present for the tour. This led to a massive disappointment with the waiting tourists.

The management of the Colosse Archaeological Park promised to reimburse the visitors concerned. However, many guests reported that they had not received any refund, which increased the frustration. The incident also took a sharp view of the current challenges in tourism in Rome, especially with regard to the perceptions and experiences of visitors.

traffic disruptions and security measures

Vance's visit to Rome already led to restrictions in the Parioli district on Friday, including road closures and traffic disruptions. As a result, the already high tourist rush has further strengthened. Vance met the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni before his visit to the Colosseum and was received in the Vatican by Cardinal Pietro parolin on Saturday. On Sunday he will take part in the Easter mass on St. Peter's Square.

These incidents are in the context of a record year for tourism in Rome. In 2024, the Italian capital recorded 51.4 million overnight stays and 22.2 million arrivals, which means an increase of 4.5 % in the overnight stays and 5.63 % in the arrival compared to 2023. The data comes from the duck bilaterale del Turismo del Lazio, which attributes the growing popularity of Rome to a variety of cultural, sporting and musical events as well as the quality of the tourist offer.

The challenges of the tourism sector

Although the number of visitors is increasing, there are challenges that the tourism sector in Rome faces. Reports on ticket rip -off and insufficient reimbursements contribute to dissatisfaction. A reported case on a million penalty for a ticket company underlines the problem in dealing with tourist -specific services. Tourists demand clear measures to ensure that they actually receive the promised experiences.