Pilgrims to Vatican likely to travel cheap

By Maria Sanminiatelli
Associated Press

ROME — With up to 4 million pilgrims arriving to pay respects to Pope John Paul II, businesses hope for an unseasonable windfall — but some say profits could be disappointing.

City officials, storekeepers and business owners complained yesterday that some of the profit is going to unlicensed street vendors — selling water, food or papal trinkets, for instance — and said stores that are not near the Vatican are almost empty.

These are not the high-rolling spenders who wander through the ancient ruins or museums of the Eternal City. These are pilgrims who don't go to restaurants, take cabs or tourist trips around Rome.

But their sheer numbers are bound to translate into a business boon.

So many are coming for tomorrow's funeral that the city is offering free cots at tent camps at a fairground, unused railway building and concert hall.

"This is a type of tourism that is eat-and-run," said Franco Cioffarelli, the city's financial chief. "It certainly brings in money, but I don't think this is a relevant phenomenon financially."

Codacons, a consumer monitoring group, estimated that businesses would earn an additional $122.5 million over two weeks. Visitors would spend $193.4 million on transportation — trains, plane tickets and gas — it said.