Rome, 9th November 2023

The Parco archeologico del Colosseo announces that it has signed the service contract with the new ticketing system provider, which is CNS – Consorzio Nazionale Servizi Società Cooperativa, a leader in the sector, the principal company in charge of the temporary grouping that includes the agent Midaticket srl, specialised in the field of cultural heritage, and the executing companies indicated by the consortium, namely REAR società cooperativa and Cooperativa Sociale Zoe.

The signing of the contract comes at the end of the process that began with the publication of the tender last October 2022 and the effective assignment on the 26th of April 2023. The first concession to Coopculture dates back to 1996, extended since 2001. Previous attempts to re-tender the concession (2010, 2017, 2019) had been either cancelled in self-protection or following rulings by the Administrative Courts on appeals.

The duration of the new service contract will be 48 months, starting from the date of the commencement of operations, which is scheduled to begin on the 1st of February 2024, taking into account the months for the handover between the current concession holder and the new provider. After 27 years we are changing, no longer a concession but a service contract.

CNS and Midaticket srl will use a ticketing software specifically designed for museums and temporary exhibitions, which has already been tested for important Italian monuments and museums such as the Duomo in Milan, the Egyptian Museum in Turin, the National Museum of Cinema in Turin, the Venaria Reale and the Sansevero Chapel Museum in Naples.

The novelties are many and mark a radical change of step with the past: first of all, the new legal status entails remuneration on the service actually provided, with no ticket surcharges and thus an increase in revenue for the PArCo and the entire national museum system. The PArCo will directly oversee the management, which will also internalise the additional services, educational and valorisation activities, thus implementing a more effective and timely management of all activities. Sales channels will also be enhanced, both through call centres and on site with smart systems, such as the presence of operators in official uniforms equipped with tablets for the instant purchase of tickets, as well as automated sales machines. In the name of transparency and efficiency, LED screens will also be positioned in the Colosseum square with real-time information on ticket availability, waiting time and the official cost to the public of admission tickets.

In anticipation of the changeover to the new provider, the PArCo announces that it will organise a meeting with tour operators, agencies and tour guides in December.