Else Beekman
The Alhambra Palace in Granada, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Spain’s top tourist attractions, is becoming increasingly difficult for ordinary visitors to access. Guides are sounding the alarm over unfair ticket sales, soaring prices, and an outdated, hack-prone booking system.
A standard admission ticket costs less than €20 via the official website or at the ticket office. However, anyone hoping to book before 18 June is out of luck, all Alhambra tickets have already sold out. Meanwhile, commercial tour operators are still offering access, with prices ranging from €199 to €299 per person. These tickets include a guided tour, but the majority of the cost goes towards commissions for the operators. For late bookers, a visit to the Alhambra becomes an expensive undertaking.
Heritage under pressure
The Alhambra welcomes millions of visitors each year and is widely regarded as one of the finest and most unique examples of Islamic architecture in Europe. Covering 14 hectares, roughly the size of 20 football pitches, the complex symbolises the Moorish legacy and the cultural flourishing of medieval Al-Andalus. Visitor numbers are capped at 7,500 per day in winter, rising to 8,500 in summer.
Spanish tour guides have raised concerns over the growing unfairness of the ticketing process. In the past, they could occasionally secure last-minute tickets via a midnight release system. Now, that option is virtually gone. The system, which releases a limited number of leftover tickets at midnight, often crashes at the critical moment. By the time it is functioning again, the tickets have already vanished.
For many guides, this late-night allocation served as a way to secure work and respond flexibly to last-minute client requests. With that safety net removed, their ability to operate has been severely impacted.
According to the guides, it is not just high demand causing problems. They claim certain companies use bots or advanced digital tactics to gain automatic access to the system. These groups are suspected of systematically securing hundreds of extra tickets.
Booking system Alhambra tickets vulnerable to hacking
The guides, who have now formed an alliance and filed an official complaint, have identified two companies they believe are primarily responsible. One is a local Granada-based tour operator with reported revenue of €5.6 million in 2023. The other is a major international player previously embroiled in controversy over alleged ticket fraud at the Colosseum in Rome.
According to the guides, these operators consistently gain access to tickets, even during peak periods when the official website lists no availability – as occurred in May this year.
They also argue that the personalised ticket system, introduced years ago to prevent fraud, offers little real protection. Although tickets are linked to names and ID numbers and are technically non-transferable, tour operators are reportedly buying them in bulk using fictitious details, then altering them later to match actual clients.
The root of the problem, they say, lies in the Alhambra’s outdated booking platform. Fraudsters can easily manipulate this system. Furthermore, it is vulnerable to hacking attempts.
Alhambra denies accusations
The Alhambra has rejected all accusations. Director Rodrigo Ruiz-Jiménez insists that they actively investigate suspicious activity. He adds that the regional government also reviews any irregularities. Only a quarter of tickets are available long in advance via the official site. The remaining batch is released in phases: at the end of each month for the following two months, or via special allocations for schools and other organisations.
For tourists, the booking process can be confusing. A simple search for ‘Alhambra tickets’ often leads to commercial websites posing as official sources, charging significantly higher prices.
According to Miguel Campos, head of the Spanish Tour Guides Association, the Alhambra administration maintains that the current issues are merely the result of May’s high visitor numbers. However, he claims that several board members, with the exception of the director, privately admit actors using bots and other digital shortcuts effectively take over the system to gain a consistent advantage.
Whether any changes will be made in the short term remains unclear. As long as the administration insists that the sales process is fair and technical glitches are only temporary, the Alhambra will likely remain accessible mainly to those who book months ahead – or are willing to pay a premium.
Source: El País
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