[YellOh]

I've read that when visiting the Vatican, you can pay extra to be allowed to walk through before regular admission starts. Which seems totally worth the cost, but a) keeps it out of reach of most people, and b) kicks the can down the street until there are enough people willing to pay the higher cost.

But overall the system seems like the best we can get... one portion of the day with limited admission (maybe a cap at a very small number of visitors), auctioned so that those who are willing to pay the most get in. Then that money is used for upkeep & supporting general admission, where anyone can pay a low price to come in with ~no cap.

I die a little inside to discuss limiting a full experience of some of the world's best-known works of art to the wealthy, but I genuinely don't know of a better way to allocate a scarce good.

[interroboink]

> but I genuinely don't know of a better way to allocate a scarce good.

A lottery system is an alternative. Still need to generate enough money to cover costs, but could be done as a partial thing.

For instance, some national park areas in the US have lotteries to be allowed to camp in them. The fee is low, so it's not biased towards rich people.

A bit like how Billy Joel got tired of bored rich people in the front row seats, so he reserved them to be given to random real fans.

[hackernewds]

The lotteries for the national parks are abused by automated bots reserving in microseconds - at least in the PNW. Heck, I've even stumbled upon a secondary marketplace reselling them for thousands since they are transferable (fatal flaw). So the argument about equal access is moot.

I'm sure there's a reader here that is aware.

[bombcar]

You have to put some limits in to prevent selling the lotteries, as if you’re going to have money change hands it might as well go to the source.

[r0fl]

https://thevaticanmuseums.com/vatican-tours/vip-early-entran...

Almost everywhere in the world you can pay extra to get into places earlier than the general public. Just depends on how much money you are willing to spend

[dmm]

> I genuinely don't know of a better way to allocate a scarce good.

We need another Michelangelo.

[cyberax]

I'd love a stroke-for-stroke reproduction, with spectrally-matched pigments.

[xwdv]

People aren’t entitled to experiences. Back in the day, most people barely left their own towns. You might be lucky if you saw one great work of art in your lifetime. That’s what we must return to in order to keep places from getting over saturated with tourism.

[harimau777]

If people don't get to have experiences, then why should they care whether or not places get over saturated with tourism?

[User23]

Lottery is the only alternative that comes to mind.