Disney magic more expensive for foreigners, EU Commission steps in
The European Commission announced Tuesday that it is investigating Disneyland Paris after complaints from British and German visitors, that they were being overcharged. Lucia Caudet, spokesperson for the EU's internal market, says the investigation raises questions about digital commercial freedoms. Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker has made it a priority to enforce EU common market rules.
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"Charging different prices in different markets is not illegal. You might not like it, but it is not...illegal, Caudet told RFI's Gilda Di Carli on Wednesday. "What seems to go against EU legislation is when you're prevented from switching and accessing offers in other markets," she explained.
This investigation falls in line with Head of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker's campaign to enforce common digital market rules.
"It's part of the single market. It's the logic. Just like when you as a consumer are travelling to another country and you are able to go into a different shop, and benefit from that offer, why shouldn't you be able to do that online?"
The Commission will be paying particular attention to "geo-blocking," which is the practice of restricting access to content based on the user's geographical location.
These complaints take the form of rerouting visitors towards French websites and obliging them to use a French bankcard.
The most popular nationality to visit the park are Brits, followed by Germans and Italians.
Disneyland is still the largest amusement park in Europe and a top Europe destination, despite a sharp drop in profits over the past five years.
The park has announced a 1 billion-euro recapitalisation plan to overcome the slump.
Other multinational companies, like Amazon and Google have also come under fire, for placing digital commercial barriers between countries.
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