TOKYO (AP) Having trouble getting tickets for next years Tokyo Olympics?
Thats no problem if you have $60,000 to spare.
Tokyo Olympic organizers are offering high-end hospitality packages to Japan residents with prices soaring to 6.35 million yen about $60,000. This is good for the opening and closing ceremony, nine days of track and field with luxury seating and sumptuous dining. Low-end packages dip down to about $1,500 for one session at a less popular event.
Tokyo is shaping up as a very pricey Olympics.
Ticket demand is unprecedented, so unofficial re-selling likely will flourish. Hotel rates are soaring. And getting here will be costly, particularly for people traveling from the Americas and Europe.
I dont know if I can afford to go to the Olympics, Brant Feldman, a Los Angeles-based sports agent, told The Associated Press. Hes attended seven straight Olympics and represents American and Canadian athletes for AGM Sports. For the average family right now to head to the Olympics, its going to be the most expensive in history.
Organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics say the luxurious hospitality packages are an opportunity for family, friends and business contacts to enjoy the games. In the words of organizers, heres whats included with the tickets:
specially selected Champagne, saké and beers
gourmet dining menu prepared by top international chefs
fine wines chosen by our sommelier
elegant commemorative souvenir VIP access pass
first-class personal service capable of dealing with any request
event host and celebrity guests appearances.
Hospitality packages, of course, are aimed at the wealthy, targeting executives who treat the Olympics as a venue for doing business and schmoozing with sports as an alluring sideshow.
Theres also an old-fashioned way for residents of Japan to get scarce tickets: a so-called second-chance lottery that closed Monday. Results will be announced next month, and another lottery for Japan residents will be held in the fall.
For now, those living outside Japan must go through Authorized Ticket Resellers , which are deluged with unprecedented demand. They also offer high-end packages and are allowed to tack on a 20% service charge to each ticket. And many of the best tickets are tied to expensive hotels.
