The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games could sell a record 1.5
million tickets, the president of the International Paralympic
Committee (IPC) said on Monday.
"The initial estimate on ticket sales by BOCOG (Beijing
Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympics and Paralympics) is
around 1.5 million. But, personally, I would expect this can be
increased above 1.5 million," Philip Craven told Chinese
reporters.
The record for ticket sales at the Paralympic Games was set in
Sydney 2000, where about 1.2 million tickets were sold. The Athens
Paralympics in 2004 sold around 850,000 tickets.
Craven, who is in Beijing on the occasion of the IPC governing
board meeting, said that at the last four Paralympic Games, winter
or summer, the actual figure of ticket sales has doubled the
estimated figure.
"So, don't work on estimates, work on the outcome figure, which
I believe will be higher than 1.5 million," he said.
Craven said that the IPC was in the negotiations with BOCOG on
the 2008 Paralympic ticketing program and would unveil the details
in the near future.
In an effort to make the Beijing Olympics affordable to average
Chinese residents, about 58 percent of the Olympic tickets are
priced at 100 yuan (US$13) or less, and 14 percent of all tickets
would be reserved for Chinese students for 10 yuan (US$1.3) or
less.
Craven said the ticket prices for the Beijing Paralympics would
be even lower than those for the Olympics.
"I know the tickets will be far cheaper than the Olympic
tickets, but I can't give you the prices yet," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2007)