A visit to the Colosseum is a must for tourists in Rome. But getting tickets is becoming increasingly difficult – and almost prohibitively expensive. The Italian antitrust authorities have now launched an investigation.
The antitrust authorities complained that the tickets had been “bought in bulk through automated purchasing systems” so that they were no longer available to individual tourists. She launched an investigation into the official retailer, CoopCulture, and four tour operators. “CoopCulture does not seem to have put in place appropriate systems to prevent card hoarding. This deprives consumers of the opportunity to buy tickets at the normal price,” the authority complained.
74 euros instead of 18 euros for a ticket
Normally a ticket to visit the Colosseum costs 18 euros, but the official website said on Tuesday that only three tickets are available until August 7. On the other hand, numerous tours were offered on the websites of local guides with prices ranging from 37.50 to 74 euros.
Carlo Rienzi, president of the consumer protection organization Codacons, complained that “secondary ticket sales” are causing great harm to consumers. “We call on the government to introduce new rules that not only prohibit secondary ticketing, but also impose very severe penalties on these websites,” Rienzi said in a statement. CoopCulture responded that it had systems in place to discourage bulk ticket purchases.
Eight million visitors a year
The Colosseum is visited by eight million tourists every year. Built between the 70s and 80s AD, it was the scene of public executions and gladiator fights by the ancient Romans. Recently, there has been discussion of tourists being caught carving the first letters of their names on a wall in the Colosseum.
Source: Krone
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