Rome - Visitors to the ruins of the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum - they are among Italy's most famous tourist attractions - can finally book their tickets online and pay with a credit card.
In a statement, the department of Italy's Culture Ministry running the site said they were “adapting to the (tourist reception) standards offered by the most important and visited museums in the world.”
The archeological excavations near Naples have long been criticised for their poor facilities and state of disrepair.
European Union-funded restoration work was launched in February, following the collapse during recent years of several buildings.
Once prosperous Roman cities, Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed in 79 AD by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which killed thousands of people and buried them in six metres of volcanic ash.
- Sapa-dpa