7 December 2011 - The Institute of Hospitality and the British Hospitality Association are warning members, on advice from the Metropolitan Police, that the unauthorised selling of Olympic event tickets, “in a public place or in the course of business”, is a criminal offence. In particular, hotel concierges should not offer to sell a ticket or advertise that a ticket is available for purchase.
“All hotel concierges should be aware of the legislation,” says Philippe Rossiter FIH, chief executive of the Institute of Hospitality.
“If concierges are asked to provide tickets, they should reply that they are unavailable and they cannot be supplied.”
Martin Couchman, deputy chief executive, BHA says that the Metropolitan Police has recently emphasised that a person is acting in the course of a business if they do anything as a result of which he makes a profit or aims to make a profit.
“The maximum penalty for unauthorised selling of Olympic tickets is currently being increased to £20,000 for each offence,” he says.
