Italy’s competition authority (AGCM) has imposed fines totaling €20 million on tourism agencies for unfairly raising ticket prices for the Colosseum. The fines were a result of the agencies making it more difficult for tourists to purchase standard tickets online and forcing them to pay much higher prices through third-party platforms that bundled additional services, such as guided tours and skip-the-line access.
One of the largest fines, amounting to €7 million, was imposed on a cooperative cultural society that had been selling tickets to the Colosseum from 1997 to 2024. The company was found guilty of price manipulation that left many tourists paying far more than the regular ticket cost.
Additionally, six tour operators based in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and Ireland were fined for using bots and other automated services to buy large quantities of tickets, making them unavailable to individual visitors.
The Colosseum, under the management of Italy’s Ministry of Culture, lists the standard adult entry ticket at €18, offering visitors up to 20 minutes on the main floor of the ancient arena.
In 2023, the Colosseum remained the most visited tourist site in Italy, attracting over 12.3 million visitors.
