Colosseum, antitrust investigation launched on ticket sales service

TheCompetition and Market Authority has launched aninvestigation against Società Cooperativa Culture (CoopCulture), Musement, GetYourGuide, Tiqets and Viator over their service of selling tickets for admission to the Colosseum Archaeological Park, which includes the areas of the Flavian-Colosseum Amphitheater, Palatine, Roman Forum and Domus Aurea.

According to the Authority, consumers would not be able to purchase tickets on the official retailer CoopCulture ’s website because they would be bought in bulk from secondary retailers.

According to reports from various press sources, since the end of 2022 and in the first half of 2023, tickets for admission to the Colosseum have been sold out soon after they were issued on CoopCulture’s website, while they remained available on the platforms of large intermediary operators (Musement, GetYourGuide, Tiqets, and Viator) who allegedly buy them en masse through the use of automated purchasing systems (so-called “bots”). Then the tickets are resold at a premium price on their own channels, usually in combination with other services, such as audioguide (in various languages besides Italian), tour guide service, pick-up at the hotel, city tour, and the possibility to “skip” the line.

Therefore, CoopCulture, as an official retailer, appears to have failed to set up suitable systems to prevent hoarding of tickets put on sale by alternative retailers, thus depriving consumers of the opportunity to purchase admission tickets at the regular price.

Today, Authority officials carried out inspections at the offices of Cooperativa Culture (CoopCulture) and Musement S.p.A. with the help of the Special Antitrust Unit of the Guardia di Finanza.

Colosseum, antitrust investigation launched on ticket sales service

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