Operators, OTAs Respond to Ticket Hoarding Allegations

Accessing tickets for popular attractions has been a growing challenge for travelers and tour operators alike, and it appears things have reached a boiling point in Italy. 

Italy began investigating bulk purchases of attraction tickets by tour operators and resellers in 2023, saying it became nearly impossible for visitors to get tickets at the standard entry price. Italy’s antitrust authority, ACGM, has now levied fines totaling €20 million against ticketing agencies, online travel agencies and tour operators for “ticket hoarding practices” which see Colosseum tickets bundled in with other features, such as a guided tour or as “skip-the-line” tickets. 

Tiqets, GetYourGuide, Walks, Italy With Family, City Wonders and Musement have all been fined for allegedly using bots to buy tickets in bulk, along with the previous ticketing management company for the Colosseum, CoopCulture. City Wonders and GetYourGuide have both announced an intention to appeal the decision, with GetYourGuide calling it “unfounded and far removed from the facts.” 

So what exactly is going on here? And what does this mean for the future of guided experiences at popular attractions in Europe?

Why are Tour Operators Being Penalized?

The allegations are rooted in two primary concerns:

• Ticket sales practices made it difficult for consumers to purchase Colosseum tickets at the regular window price. 
• This forced consumers to purchase alternative options, such as guided tours or audio tours including Colosseum tickets, from tour operators and ticket resellers at a higher price point.

According to the legal filing in Italy, the seven companies involved were penalized because:

• The previous official Colosseum ticket seller, CoopCulture, was negligent in addressing massive ticket purchases through automated systems by third parties, causing immediate ticket unavailability after release.
• Tour operators and platforms were allegedly using automated systems (bots) to buy tickets en masse, subsequently reselling them at higher prices coupled with mandatory additional services, or bundled packages.

GetYourGuide and City Wonders have both announced they are appealing the ruling, insisting they do not use automated systems, or bots, and have followed all the rules imposed by CoopCulture and Italian Law. CoopCulture is no longer the managing ticket agency for the Colosseum.

“City Wonders did not use automated tools to purchase tickets. All purchases were made manually, in full compliance with the law and the procedures established by the official ticketing provider, CoopCulture,” said Ross Mantione, President and COO of City Wonders.

“We are confident that our work makes a positive contribution to the tourism sector and to the promotion of Italian cultural heritage. We have always played by the rules imposed by CoopCulture and by Italian law, and will defend the integrity of our operations,” said Francesca de Falco, Country Manager of GetYourGuide.

Standard Entry vs. Bundled Experiences

Beyond the use of bots, one of the key issues is access to standard tickets vs. “bundling.” Tour operators and OTAs offering Colosseum tickets are not simply reselling the Colosseum tickets at a higher cost. They are selling experiences which include a Colosseum ticket, such as a guided tour which includes Colosseum entry, or an audio guided experience. 

This in itself was not against the rules — these third party resellers were in fact not allowed to resell tickets as standalone products but were required to bundle their Colosseum tickets with other services. The issue is with the balance between standalone tickets and bundled tickets. According to the ACGM ruling, initially, no separate quotas for these channels existed between direct to consumer and B2B channels. Quotas were introduced in July 2023 (initially 70% consumer, 30% B2B, later adjusted). 

So “bundled experiences” themselves aren’t the issue here, but how that balance is managed. After all, Arival consumer research shows a growing interest in VIP experiences at attractions. Younger travelers and affluent travelers in particular are looking for experiences that offer a unique way to experience a popular attraction, and attractions and tour operators are taking notes — offering more guided tours and VIP experiences at attractions. As interest in these types of experiences grows, one of the challenges for large attractions like the Colosseum will be how to manage that balance — between demand for standard tickets and elevated experiences — before it gets to the boiling point.

Managing Ticket Access and Overtourism

Ultimately this issue has arisen from an attempt to address the growing challenge of overtourism. As the pressures on popular destinations and attractions increase with higher visitation numbers, this ruling in Italy is just one example of why it’s so important for our industry to work together to address these challenges in proactive ways. 

Addressing overtourism and managing ticket access at popular attractions will be a hot topic at Arival 360 | Valencia this year. Join us next week in person to be a part of the conversation.