Concerts at the Circus Maximus? No reason to stop them

Earthquake Travis Scott. After the August 7 concert, many citizens complained on social media about the loud noise and the earthquake. st.Criticism poured in from the director of the Colosseum Archaeological Park to Minister Sangiuliano, who was concerned that such an event could endanger the nearby structure of the Colosseum. Did you expect such a reaction?

Some reported the presence of real earthquakes, but in fact the seismographs did not record anything. And no damage was reported. Three people sprayed pepper spray in a robbery near the Circus Maximus: these are three criminals, it could have happened anywhere. It would be snobbish to refuse such events: the youth of past decades listened to Vasco Rossi, and even earlier, Patty Pravo and their parents turned up their noses. Today, trap is listened to by boys and girls aged 15 to 25. And we cannot resist it.

How was the event received abroad?

In the rest of the world, the event has already become a legend: Kanye West did not perform for a year and a half and chose a Travis Scott concert for this. Thanks to the investment in the Circus Maximus, which is rented out to Italian artists as well as foreign artists such as Scott, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Bruce Springsteen, Rome is again populated with tourists coming from all over Italy and Europe. We have not only income from rent (after all, a performance at the Circus Maximus costs an average of 300 thousand euros), but also an economic return from the tourism sector: restaurants, hotels, shops. There is not a single argument in favor of these great events, but they certainly must not be overlooked.

What is the balance of this season’s events?

Thanks to the concerts at the Circus Maximus, Rome became the capital of major events for the first time. In 2022, over two million tickets were sold in Rome, 500,000 tickets more than in Milan. Many artists from all over the world want to perform at the Circus Maximus: if they don’t perform there, they often don’t perform in Rome either. They go to Milan or the arena of Verona if they decide to stay in Italy anyway. Such concerts have social, cumulative, economic and tourist value.

So will concerts at the Circus Maximus return?

Until there is a dossier or scientific study that proves that sound waves can cause problems, we will continue to play concerts if we want to make the city international. The next concert at the Circus Maximus will take place on September 2 with Max Pezzali. Surely this is closer to those who do not like discos with a snotty nose, they will feel reassured.

However, not only concerts are expected in the near future.

Absolutely not. There is an important purpose for the Jubilee 2025, which, in addition to its religious value, from a secular point of view represents an opportunity to overcome many infrastructural gaps through large investments, from the streets of Rome to the pedestrian areas around St. Peter’s Basilica. . In the next few months we will also be hosting the Ryder Cup, with an event volume of over 500 million euros, bringing golfers from all over the world and Rome also becoming a golf tourism destination in the next few years.

Looking to the future, what opportunities can EXPO 2030 bring to Rome?

It would be a godsend for our city, because crazy investments would come. The entire area of ​​Tor Vergata will be finally restored as a stronghold of sustainable development and a lot of work will be created. But it’s a tough competition, because every state is worth one regardless of its population or the economic value of its GDP: fingers crossed. We also have an excellent relationship with the government at the Expo: there are no political overtones when it comes to achieving a goal that will benefit everyone. And if Rome wins EXPO, it will be a great victory for all of Italy, including Europe. Therefore, other states should also understand this.

So the summer season is coming to an end. What is the budget for tourism in the capital?

Tourist numbers in Rome will exceed 30 million, according to data still coming in, a record-breaking year in Rome’s history thanks to strategic investments in concerts and major sports, fashion, arts and cultural events. The Giro d’Italia is back. There have already been Internazionali Tennis, Piazza di Siena, but every year they bring record fees and attendance: people come to Rome not only for the Colosseum, there are a thousand other reasons to come to Rome. And now we must continue to improve the suburbs.

Speaking of tourism, do you think that the decision of the Capitol Assembly to increase the tourist tax could harm the capital’s tourism sector?

The additional income that we will receive due to the increase in the tourist tax is estimated at least another 50 million euros. It will be money that we will invest in cleanliness, in the beautification of the city, in public transport, as well as in promoting Rome in the world and in free meetings, from the center to the suburbs. We want to create a vibrant, sparkling city. Rome should be a habitable city, and this increase will help us make the city more efficient.

What are the prospects for so-called short-term rentals in this tourism scenario?

We have been asking the government for some time now to regulate the short-term rental market. Those who use sales intermediation portals such as Air BnB, Booking or Expedia are not required to have a single identification code, which the municipality, on the other hand, issues to authorized entities. Only authorized structures could work. Instead, if we go to these portals, we find both authorized and abuse, including vacation homes, room rentals, and bed and breakfasts. It is a shame that the municipality cannot provide the codes on its own: it creates unfair competition between those who have the authority and those who do not. Three lines of the decree would be enough to combat illegal activities.

Is there any data and numbers on these designs?

There are 700 hotels and 25,000 small buildings in the center on the UNESCO site. And at least 15,000 of them are illegal. We are not angry at those who decide to create a hotel structure from scratch, but today we are dealing with managers who have 300 apartments. That’s why we don’t want to block new discoveries, but encourage them in more peripheral areas, because the central ones are dying. Tourists choose Rome for its way of life, but if the center of Rome and its districts lose their identity, the city dies, and therefore tourism.

We cannot allow this. But it seems obvious to me that part of the right is watching who creates unregulated business in the hotel sector in Rome and other major cities of our country.

Returning to sports, in addition to sporting events, work has been underway for some time to repair and reopen abandoned municipal facilities. How are the operations going?

Today there are about 133 municipal facilities, to which are added about forty municipal ones: those who rent these facilities pay a controlled price, but must guarantee the provision of courses at the same low price of about thirty euros per month. It’s a very beautiful balance associated with this passion. But then we discovered the scammers. We have tried to clarify this, to maximize the social contribution necessary for everyone to be able to play sports.

Of the 133 municipal enterprises, about 13 remain closed. Having examined them, we found funds to finance new work, conduct new tenders and open them as soon as possible, restoring the rule of law.

Will they start dating again soon then?

It may sound surreal, but in 2023, one of the main reasons why so many people still don’t exercise is economic: they don’t have the money to exercise. It is also for this reason that we, together with the Capitol Assembly, decided to invest 2 million in vouchers for the little ones so that they can play sports. They will be able to use them to control prices in private properties, but we hope that soon they will be able to use all the possibilities of the municipality.