touristation
Touristation (Ticketstation S.r.l.) is a Rome-based tour operator selling guided tours, skip-the-line tickets, food experiences, and transport services to international tourists via five physical infopoints and a multilingual online booking platform, now owned by Big Bus Tours.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersRome, Italy
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What touristation does
Touristation, legally operating as Ticketstation S.r.l., is a Rome-based, privately held tour operator founded in 2016 that organizes and sells guided tours, skip-the-line attraction tickets, food experiences, transport services (hop-on-hop-off buses, golf cart tours, bike tours), and museum management services. The company serves international tourists visiting Rome, with multi-language support across six website languages (Italian, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German) and audio guides in eight languages. Its revenue model is direct-to-consumer, transaction-based: per-person ticket and tour pricing ranging from €12 for entry-level skip-the-line tickets (Pantheon) up to €210 for premium Experience Pass bundles, with all sales conducted through either a multilingual online booking platform or five physical infopoint locations strategically positioned near Rome's highest-traffic attractions (Piazza Navona, Piazza d'Aracoeli, and three sites on Viale Vaticano adjacent to Vatican Museums).
The company's competitive position rests on a portfolio of 91+ tours across 12 categories — including 38 Museums & Exhibitions experiences, 11 Vatican Tours, 14 Outside Rome trips (Pompeii, Venice), and 9 Bike Tours — and on its accredited operator status with major Italian cultural heritage concessionaires (Vatican Museums, Colosseum Archaeological Park, CoopCulture, Zetema, Doria Pamphilj Gallery, HIVE, TOSC/Ticketone, Stadium of Domitian). Beyond ticket reselling, Touristation directly operates and manages several museum sites including the Leonardo da Vinci Museum, the Gladiator Museum, and the Piano Nobile of Palazzo Patrizi, providing a deeper vertical integration than pure tour-reselling competitors. Marketing is conducted through the multilingual website, organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TripAdvisor), and earned review-media presence. In August 2025, Touristation was acquired by Big Bus Tours — the world's largest open-top sightseeing operator serving 28 cities and over 6 million tourists annually, itself backed by private equity firm Exponent — marking a strategic shift from independent regional operator to integrated multi-experience tourism platform. Following the acquisition, Touristation continues operating under its brand with all infopoints and tour operations intact.
touristation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- touristation
- Legal name
- Ticketstation S.r.l.
- Website
- https://touristation.it
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Touristation (Ticketstation S.r.l.) is a Rome-based tour operator selling guided tours, skip-the-line tickets, food experiences, and transport services to international tourists via five physical infopoints and a multilingual online booking platform, now owned by Big Bus Tours.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
touristation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tour Operator Services
- NAICS
- Tour Operators (56152), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Historical Sites (712120)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Museum & Landmark Guided Tours (Skip-the-line/Docent-led) (THAJAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)
Keywords
Where touristation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rome
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
touristation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Tour Ticket Sales: Direct sales of tour tickets and entry passes to major Rome attractions including Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Catacombs, Pantheon, and Borghese Gallery. Revenue generated through per-person pricing with varying rates based on tour type and duration.
- Guided Tour Services: Professional guided tour services with licensed guides providing historical commentary and expert navigation of Rome's cultural heritage sites
- Package Tours: Combined experiences bundling multiple attractions or services such as Borghese Gallery with Hop-On Hop-Off bus tours
- Museum Management: Operation and management of museum sites including The Leonardo da Vinci Museum, The Gladiator Museum, and Piano Nobile of Palazzo Patrizi
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Skip-the-Line Tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Guided Tours |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Food Tours |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Combined Experiences |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
touristation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Touristation (legally Ticketstation S.r.l.) is a Rome-based tour operator that sells skip-the-line attraction tickets and guided tour experiences for major cultural heritage sites including the Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Pantheon, Castel Sant'Angelo, Borghese Gallery, Catacombs, and St. Mark's Basilica in Venice. Its offerings span walking tours, bike tours, golf cart tours, hop-on hop-off bus tours, food and wine experiences, opera concerts, and accommodation services, distributed via its own multilingual website and five physical infopoints in Rome. The company also directly manages museum sites such as The Leonardo da Vinci Museum, The Gladiator Museum, and the Piano Nobile of Palazzo Patrizi.
Product overview
Touristation is a Rome-based tour operator and ticket seller offering a comprehensive portfolio of guided tours, skip-the-line tickets, and cultural experiences across the Eternal City. The company operates five physical infopoints in Rome and manages several museum sites. Their core offerings include: multimedia experiences at major attractions (Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Castel Sant'Angelo); guided walking, golf cart, bike, and bus tours; food and wine experiences including Trastevere food tours and Italian breakfast experiences; entertainment options like opera concerts at Doria Pamphilj; and museum management services for Leonardo da Vinci Museum, Gladiator Museum, and Palazzo Patrizi. The company was acquired by Big Bus Tours in August 2025.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Multimedia Experience Best-selling multimedia tour experience of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill with guided access and audio/visual content, priced at €40 per person.
- Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Fast Track Skip the Line Skip-the-line access to Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with reserved entry tickets, priced at €60 per person.
- Rome Catacombs Guided Tour with Transfer Guided tour of Rome's catacombs with transportation included from meeting point, priced at €59 per person.
- Castel Sant'Angelo Skip the Line Ticket + Ancient Rome Multimedia Video Skip-the-line entry to Castel Sant'Angelo combined with multimedia video presentation about ancient Rome, priced at €30 per person.
- Pantheon Skip The Line Ticket Skip-the-line entry ticket to the Pantheon monument in Rome, priced at €12 per person.
- Doria Pamphilj: Secret Apartments Guided Tour and Opera Concert Guided tour of the private Doria Pamphilj Secret Apartments combined with classical music opera concert curated by Maestro Aurelio Porfiri, priced at €48 per person.
- Rome: 1 Hour Golf Cart Experience One-hour guided golf cart tour of Rome's historic center covering iconic landmarks and hidden gems with multilingual audio guide, priced at €35 per person.
- Borghese Gallery Entry & Hop-On Hop-Off Rome Combined skip-the-line entry to Borghese Gallery with a 3-hour hop-on hop-off bus tour of Rome, featuring masterpieces by Bernini, Caravaggio, Canova, Raphael, and Titian, priced at €58 per person.
- Vatican Gardens, Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Guided Tour Exclusive guided tour of Vatican Gardens, Vatican Museums, and Sistine Chapel with special permission access, including St. Peter's Basilica entry, priced at €95 per person.
- Opera Night Pass Flexible open-ticket experience for opera performances featuring Vivaldi, La Traviata, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and Rigoletto at various venues including cathedrals, museums, and Roman ruins, priced at €48 per person.
- Rome Food Tour – A Guided Italian Breakfast Experience Guided Italian breakfast food tour featuring traditional pastries, espresso, cappuccino, and tastings at local establishments including Sant'Eustachio Caffè, with optional Pantheon entry, priced at €35 per person.
- Trastevere Food Tour – Guided Gourmet-Tasting in Rome Guided walking food tour through Trastevere neighborhood with 6 local food tastings, 1 wine tasting, visits to Campo dei Fiori market, and traditional Roman street food like supplì and panino con porchetta, priced at €39 per person.
- Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours Flexible hop-on hop-off bus tours allowing tourists to explore Rome's landmarks at their own pace with audio commentary.
- Bike Tours Guided bicycle tours of Rome covering various routes and attractions.
- Walking Tours Guided walking tours of Rome covering historic sites, monuments, and neighborhoods.
- Rome Underground Tours Tours exploring Rome's underground sites and catacombs.
- Rome City Pass Combined pass offering access to multiple Rome attractions and experiences, with the top Experience Pass priced at €210 per person.
- Museum Management Services Direct management of museum sites including The Leonardo da Vinci Museum, The Gladiator Museum, and Piano Nobile of Palazzo Patrizi.
- Touristation Infopoints (Rome Locations) Five physical infopoint locations in Rome (Piazza Navona, Aracoeli, Sistine Chapel, Vatican, Vatican Museums) providing ticket pickup, tourist assistance, and on-site support with extended-hours multilingual staffing.
- Online Booking Platform Website-based booking platform for tours, tickets, and experiences across Rome with multi-language support (Italian, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German) and real-time availability with instant confirmation.
Quantifiable outcome
- Acquired by Big Bus Tours, the world's largest open-top sightseeing operator, in August 2025
Companies that use touristation
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
touristation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
touristation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Vatican MuseumscoreAccredited tour operator with the Vatican Museums, providing skip-the-line access and guided tour services for visitors to the Museums and Sistine Chapel
- Colosseum Archaeological Park (PAC)coreAccredited tour operator with Colosseum Archaeological Park, offering tickets and guided experiences for the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill
- CoopCulturecoreAccredited tour operator with CoopCulture, a major cultural heritage concessionaire managing various Italian cultural sites
- ZetemacoreAccredited tour operator with Zetema, a cultural heritage management organization
- Doria Pamphilj GallerycoreAccredited tour operator with Doria Pamphilj Gallery, managing secret apartments tours and opera concerts in the historic palace
- HIVEminorAccredited tour operator with HIVE
- TOSC / TicketoneminorAccredited tour operator with TOSC/Ticketone
- Stadium of DomitianminorAccredited tour operator with the Stadium of Domitian
- St. Mark's Basilica in VeniceminorAccredited partner of the Procuratura of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
touristation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tiqets: Digital ticketing platform specializing in museums and attractions globally, with deep Rome coverage (Vatican, Colosseum, Borghese Gallery). Directly competes with Touristation on skip-the-line ticketing and attraction entry.
- Viator: TripAdvisor-owned marketplace for tours and attractions worldwide. Competes head-to-head with Touristation on Rome guided tours, Colosseum/Vatican tickets, and food tours, with similar supplier-based model.
- Headout: Last-minute tours and attraction tickets marketplace with strong Rome presence. Competes on inventory aggregation and mobile-first booking experience for the same Vatican/Colosseum/Pantheon core SKUs.
- Walks (Walks of Italy): Italy-focused small-group guided tour operator offering skip-the-line experiences at the Vatican, Colosseum, and Pompeii. Closely comparable niche specialist competing for the same premium guided-tour segment in Rome.
- GetYourGuide: Global online travel agency aggregating tours, attractions, and skip-the-line tickets across Europe including Rome. Directly competes with Touristation on tour distribution and ticketing, with vastly larger marketing reach.
- Through Eternity: Rome and Italy small-group tours operator specializing in cultural and historical guided experiences. Comparable premium guided-tour positioning with similar licensed-guide and skip-the-line access model.
- Civitatis: Online tour and activity marketplace with significant Italy and Rome coverage including guided tours and skip-the-line tickets. Directly competes for international tourist bookings with similar supplier-aggregator model.
- The Tour Guy: Rome and Italy-focused tour operator offering small-group guided experiences at major attractions. Directly comparable business model serving the same international tourist segment with similar skip-the-line premium offerings.
Broad incumbents
- Big Bus Tours: Parent company since August 2025 and the world's largest open-top sightseeing bus operator across 28 cities. Comparable as a multi-experience sightseeing platform but operates at vastly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
- City Sightseeing: Global hop-on-hop-off sightseeing bus franchise operating in dozens of cities. Overlaps with Touristation's hop-on-hop-off offering and competes as an established multi-city sightseeing incumbent.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
touristation social profiles
Digital presencetouristation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
touristation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
touristation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
touristation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about touristation
What does touristation do?
Touristation (legally Ticketstation S.r.l.) is a Rome-based tour operator that sells skip-the-line attraction tickets and guided tour experiences for major cultural heritage sites including the Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Pantheon, Castel Sant'Angelo, Borghese Gallery, Catacombs, and St. Mark's Basilica in Venice. Its offerings span walking tours, bike tours, golf cart tours, hop-on hop-off bus tours, food and wine experiences, opera concerts, and accommodation services, distributed via its own multilingual website and five physical infopoints in Rome. The company also directly manages museum sites such as The Leonardo da Vinci Museum, The Gladiator Museum, and the Piano Nobile of Palazzo Patrizi.
Is touristation a public or private company?
touristation is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was touristation founded?
touristation was founded in 2016.
Where is touristation based?
touristation is headquartered in Rome, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does touristation make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tour Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are guided Tour Services, package Tours and museum Management.
Who are touristation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tiqets, Viator, Headout, Walks (Walks of Italy), GetYourGuide, Through Eternity, Civitatis and The Tour Guy. Broad incumbents are Big Bus Tours and City Sightseeing.
Does touristation have an API?
No public API is recorded for touristation.
What industry is touristation in?
touristation's product category is Tour Operator Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJAAAC, Museum & Landmark Guided Tours (Skip-the-line/Docent-led), with a secondary code of THAAAGAD, Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers). Its NAICS code is 56152 and its SIC code is 7990.