Italy. The Colosseum and Six Tours-Operators were inflicted a fine of 20 million euros for violations in the sales ticket sales system. This record fine in the “unhewed ticket case” of the Colosseum closed an investigation opened in July 2023. The AGCM, the competition gendarme, had then found that it was “practically impossible” to buy basic tickets online to go to the famous Roman amphitheater, the most visited monument in Italy. Italian authorities denounce a “System tainted with unfair practices and commercial strategies harmful to consumers”. He involved Coopculture, historic concessionaire of the official ticket office of the Colosseum from 1997 to 2024, as well as six active tour operators at the international level: Tiqets International BV, Gotyourguide Deutschland GmbH, Walks LLC, Italy with Family SRL, City Wonders Limited and
According to the AGCM, these seven companies are at the origin of a mass purchase system of the entry tickets of the Colosseum at the basic rate, the cheapest, using computer tools. They were then sold to tourists at much higher prices including additional services, often not requested by the user, such as the addition of guides or the FILE option. All by an even greater additional cost. An action coordinated at the origin of a parallel market where the direct and transparent purchase of a single ticket had become an exception. The AGCM denounces a blatant distortion of the market caused by this shortage of official tickets. Consumers were indeed forced to buy more expensive packages supporting a resale system for the benefit of private tour operators and co -culture. The latter received a fine of 7 million euros, the heaviest, because“She contributed, knowingly to a phenomenon from which she has drawn considerable economic advantages”castigates the competition gendarme in a press release. No effective measure to combat the massive purchase of tickets using robots and automated tools has been implemented.
Coopculture “Completely rejects the arguments that constitute the architecture of the antitrust decision” and retorts that she “Is based on the desire to respond to media pressure rather than clarifying the situation”. She finally announces that she “ will rely on the judicial authority, by completely trusting it ”. For his part, Gotyourguide expressed his “Astonishment and its strong opposition” To the conclusions of the AGCM, reserving the right to appeal before the Tribunal Administration of Rome to protect its reputation and confirm the full legitimacy of its actions. The company stresses that it has “Always worked according to the contractual methods of co -culture”.
All consumer associations, as well codacons, UNC, Consumerismo, and Audicon, are delighted with the outcome of the AGCM survey. They have denounced for years the drift of the Colosseum which had become “An arena where the great actors act in predators and consumers were abandoned”. They hope that a wider reflection will now be open to the management of the ticketing of major archaeological sites and Italian museums.
