How to Regulate Scalpers at Museums, Tourist Attractions and Concerts? (AI Translation)

【周刊提前读】博物馆、景区、演唱会供需失衡 “黄牛党”如何监管？

The original 60-yuan ticket for the Forbidden City has escalated to over 300 yuan due to "research study and explanation services" [para. 1]. Similar markups are seen with tickets for the National Museum of China and the Sichuan Sanxingdui Museum [para. 1]. These escalations are the result of ticket scalping, where "scalpers" acquire tickets through illicit means and resell them at higher prices for profit [para. 2]. Scalping has infiltrated concerts significantly, pushing ticket prices for stars such as Andy Lau and Jay Chou to nearly ten thousand yuan [para. 3]. This monopolization results in "sold out in one second" becoming the norm for museums and concerts during peak seasons [para. 3]. Tencent's monitoring reveals that 80% of ticket traffic for a high-traffic museum in Beijing is from scalpers [para. 5].

The Ministry of Public Security has been combating this issue; since implementing "Category B Management" for COVID-19, they have pursued more than 900 criminal suspects and intercepted 50,000 scalper accounts [para. 6]. However, the imbalance between supply and demand exacerbates the problem [para. 8]. In the summer of 2024, ticket bookings for museums tripled pre-pandemic levels, with family groups and study tours contributing significantly [para. 10]. Despite reservations, museums like the National Museum cannot meet the overwhelming demand [para. 10]. There were 251,700 commercial performances in the first half of 2024, a 30.19% increase year-on-year, but box office revenue only increased by 13.24% [para. 11]. Concerts by artists like Andy Lau attract millions of fans, but scalpers ensure ticket prices are exorbitant, as seen with Jay Chou’s concerts [para. 13].

Industry experts note that tourist and performance sites have fixed capacity limits, and the shift of ticket sales to online platforms aids scalpers [para. 16]. Museums are trying various measures to increase supply, such as night tours and combating scalping [para. 17]. Nonetheless, the next cycle of high demand is expected [para. 18]. The "museum craze" fueled by educational travel adds to this surge [para. 19]. Museums are leveraging short video marketing to boost popularity, but their capacity to manage visitor traffic has not kept pace, largely relying on reservation systems to control flow [para. 20-21].

Some travel agencies exploit the situation by using technology or insider connections to secure and resell tickets [para. 73]. E-commerce platforms are integral to this process, as indicated by the partnership between Ctrip and the National Museum [para. 73]. Scalper detection technology is advancing, focusing on mitigating fraudulent ticket purchases through automated systems [para. 66]. Museums like the Forbidden City are implementing real-time risk identification to counteract scalping software [para. 70]. The "strict real-name" system for concert tickets mirrors this approach but involves significant investment and regional variability in implementation [para. 80].

Ticketing platforms deploy various measures to intercept scalper orders, but the high resale black-and-gray market activity remains an issue [para. 91]. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism demands increased public ticket sales and stricter real-name policies for large-scale performances [para. 89]. However, consumer rights issues persist, as seen in the Jiangsu Consumer Rights Protection Committee's discussions about refund policies [para. 97].

In summary, escalating ticket scalping in China reflects a profound supply and demand imbalance across museums and performance venues, driven further by educational travel trends. Despite ongoing efforts by museums, ticketing platforms, and law enforcement to curb scalping, the market dynamics create continuous opportunities for scalpers, requiring robust and adaptive regulatory frameworks and technological interventions to protect consumers. [para. 1][para. 2][para. 3][para. 6][para. 8][para. 10][para. 11][para. 16][para. 17][para. 18][para. 20][para. 21][para. 66][para. 70][para. 73][para. 80][para. 89][para. 91][para. 97]