(ATR) PyeongChang 2018 is selling 7,000 to 10,000 tickets a day in a bid to "achieve full stadia" when the Winter Olympics open.
The latest ticket sales figures from PyeongChang 2018 are at 826,000 sold, or 77.3 percent. PyeongChang 2018 President Hee Beom Lee said that the current rate of sales is "not bad considering previous Games".
Tickets that are proving hard to sell are the most expensive ones for the opening and closing ceremonies, snow events, and newly added team events. PyeongChang 2018 has assembled a "task force for ticket sales" to work on how to sell the remaining seats.
"[Given the rate] I believe that we can achieve full stadia before the Games begin," Lee said in a press conference with journalists.
Even if spectators purchase tickets at the last minute for the Olympic Games, there is no guarantee that there will be accommodations in the area. With events spread out over a large area, tourists are relying on finding local accommodations throughout Gangwon province.
Lee says that despite negative coverage regarding the status of accommodations, tourists have a variety of options. PyeongChang 2018 says it worked with the provincial government to set up a hotline for tourists to call to get help planning a trip to the Games. Tourists only have to call "1330" in Korea to be connected to the hotline.
"This is the Winter Olympic Games, so it is hard to find five star or six star hotels," Lee said. "If we consider the total number of properties, I think it is quite good."
If tourists still cannot find accommodations, there is always the option of staying in Seoul and commuting to the Games via high speed rail. Lee confirmed the trains will run up to two and a half hours after the latest sessions of competition wrap up. For example, following ice hockey matches there will be trains available until 1 am.
Cold Could Dissipate
Preparations for a frozen Opening Ceremony may prove to be overly cautious.
Forecasts for the PyeongChang area have projected a slight lifting of the cold snap gripping the area. Temperatures have dipped below zero Fahrenheit (-18 Celsius) during the night in recent days.
In response PyeongChang 2018 created an opening ceremony cold weather kit that it will distribute to all spectators. It includes a hat, blanket, windbreaker, heat packs, and a seat cover.
Weather forecasts currently show temperatures as high as 35 degrees Fahrenheit the day of the Opening Ceremony.
Regardless, PyeongChang 2018 is prepared for continued cold snaps disrupting events. Many international federations have mandatory minimum temperature requirements, so if it gets too cold athletes cannot compete.
A PyeongChang 2018 spokesperson confirmed that the competition schedule is a bit packed, but flexible enough to take into account session cancellations. Some sports, such a ski jumping, have built in contingencies because of external factors such as wind.
"There is a competition change schedule committee, this happens at every games, so they have to manage the schedule," the spokesperson said. "It’s a packed schedule, but there is some leeway if something needs to be postponed. It depends on the competition change schedule committee."
Written by Aaron Bauer
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