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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
City sports tour operator suing Olympics committee
Roadtrips Inc. has found itself embroiled in a bid by the Vancouver organizing committee (VANOC) to stop the re-selling of tickets to Olympic events.
Roadtrips, which has been in business for 17 years, specializes in luxury tour packages to premier sporting events and luxury accommodations.
At the end of May, VANOC -- the name of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics organizing committee -- filed a suit against Roadtrips, alleging its tour packages include tickets to the Games that they don't have a legal right to sell.
Roadtrips fired back, naming VANOC and its official ticket package provider, Jet Set Sports, and ticket management company, Tickets.com, alleging they are conspiring against Roadtrips to keep it out of the lucrative Olympic ticket resale market.
"We think we have a strong position," David Guenther, Roadtrips president, said.
Roadtrips is selling tour packages to the Vancouver Games that start at $4,675, which includes a four-night stay at a luxury hotel, and tickets for two to three events.
The Roadtrips website (www.roadtrips.com) is also offering tour packages to the 2012 Summer Games, the 2010 World Cup of Soccer in South Africa, the Europe League Final and the Champions League Final.
VANOC alleges that Roadtrips isn't authorized to sell tickets to the Games and that the re-sale of the tickets by anyone else is a violation of the sales agreement with VANOC.
"Legal action is always the last resort for us," a spokesman for VANOC said, adding it would not comment on the dispute while it remains before the courts.
Guenther issued a statement to the media at the end of May when his company was first served with the lawsuit, explaining that it's doing nothing illegal.
"It is Roadtrips' position that it is perfectly legal and established common practice to sell sports travel packages and that this activity is different than the simple re-sale of event tickets; which is also legal in most parts of Canada and the United States.
"By its actions, VANOC is just trying to maintain the monopoly on ticket distribution and travel package sales that is has sold to its U.S. based agent," the statement read.
Roadtrips lawsuit alleges that the exclusive agreements VANOC has with other tour providers are illegal.
None of the allegations has been proven in court.
Guenther said 85 per cent of his firm's clients are from outside Canada, with many of them from the United States.
-- Staff / With files from The Canadian Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 8, 2009 B2
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