Dea from Georgia uses a fan to cool off as she walks near the Colosseum amid a heatwave in Rome, Italy, June 20, 2024. Photo: Reuters
The AGCM authority said it had fined CoopCulture, which managed official ticket sales for the Colosseum from 1997-2024, seven million euros for failing to prevent automated ticket hoarding and for reserving a large share of tickets for its own guided tour packages.
The AGCM said this conduct led to the "substantial and prolonged unavailability" of standard-priced tickets for Italy's most popular tourist attraction, forcing consumers to purchase higher-priced tickets bundled with additional services.
A woman holds an umbrella to shelter herself from the sun as she sits near the Colosseum amid a heatwave in Rome, Italy, June 20, 2024. Photo: Reuters
Six tour operators - Tiqets International BV, GetYourGuide Deutschland GmbH, Walks LLC, Italy With Family S.r.l., City Wonders Limited, and Musement S.p.A. - were also fined for using software robots (bots) to buy tickets in bulk, contributing to their rapid disappearance from CoopCulture's website.
The operators then resold the tickets bundled with services such as guided tours or priority access, often at significantly higher prices, the regulator said.
The investigation began in July 2023 after widespread complaints that it was nearly impossible for consumers to buy tickets to the Colosseum at official prices online.
($1 = 0.9227 euros)
Max: 1500 characters
There are no comments yet. Be the first to comment.