550,000 unsold Olympic tickets

[scooter]

Five out of six of the 300,000 Olympics tickets which were available 12 days ago remain unsold

That leaves a total of 550,000 contingency tickets - seats that were held back until the venues were finished and broadcast and other spaces confirmed - left to sell.

That's a lot of empty seats. Perhaps something to do with.....

1. the price?
Ceremony tickets start from £995.
Tickets for the other sports - athletics, swimming, football at Wembley, volleyball, table tennis and boxing - range from £20 to £720

2. London hotel prices? (hiked by a rediculous 100+ %)
Pred said it. Welcome to rip off Britain.

A huge outlay for a normal working family. By the looks of it, more than most would care to spend.

That is in addition to the 1.25 million football tickets which are still currently available.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18345874



Edit:
total amount of tickets available = 8mil
total left 1.75mil

According to wikipedia, they expect to sell 82% so they are not far off the mark.

Pitty, i was looking for a good moan.





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[peter_w]

To be honest I actually think the prices are reasonable. The higher end prices are necessary to meet costs and they know there's plenty of corporates who are willing (and indeed already have done) to pay the three or even four figure prices.

The £20 tickets to me seem to offer good value. In the case of the early rounds of the football you get two games (including Team GB) for your score.

 

[solaris]

I'm not sure if some of those events are really ones you'd want to pay to see! What % of Olympic tickets usually remain unsold anyway?

Maybe they will bus in unemployed people to fill the stadiums and call it work experience?

 

[Blossom]

I wouldn't go even if they were free to be honest.

Might consider it if they offered free travel and paid me to go, but even then I'd still think twice.

 

[Pred]

Maybe they will bus in unemployed people to fill the stadiums and call it work experience?

lol


what the 'organisers' are forgetting is millions in the country and everywhere else are losing their shirts
there are bills to pay
most people cannot pay for tickets, accommodation, food and everything else
making it minimum low xxx per person per day
then queue in security for hours after driving for hours or trying to park
getting searched, delays

I too wouldn't go if accommodation were provided and was driven there and free tickets
(ie. if was royalty, politician etc dignitary)

I've been to enough concerts, big functions etc, sports events over years
and I just say to myself when I get back, did I enjoy it, and the truth is the travelling, hassles, cost, too many people etc just kill almost any event

I am a miserable old git which doesn't help

 

[developdomains]

I'd rather stick paperclips up my nose.

We as a country (or our government) are the biggest wasters of money on the whole planet.

What could the money they have spent building all these stadiums/facilities bought us? A few more hospitals? More housing?

Makes me so angry!

 

[Blossom]

I'd rather stick paperclips up my nose.

We as a country (or our government) are the biggest wasters of money on the whole planet.

What could the money they have spent building all these stadiums/facilities bought us? A few more hospitals? More housing?

Makes me so angry!

Well, it depends how much it makes. Don't know if there are any estimates on that?

What I don't like is how they are crippling all the businesses that can't afford to sponsor it by being so ridiculously strict on regulations. As if it will make a difference to P&G or any of the others if someone posts a photo of themselves on Facebook at an event, or Jack's kebab shop has an 'Olympic offer' on chips. I think that was one of the things done well at the Jubilee - businesses could get properly involved whether they were Tesco or a sole trader on eBay.

 

[Pred]

wonder if seb coe and william hague will be sharing a room to keep costs down

 

[peter_w]

I'd rather stick paperclips up my nose.

We as a country (or our government) are the biggest wasters of money on the whole planet.

What could the money they have spent building all these stadiums/facilities bought us? A few more hospitals? More housing?

Makes me so angry!

Your anger is severely misguided.

 

[Marcoose]

Unfortunately I won't be in the country to witness the spectacle but I think it's fantastic we're hosting it.

People talk about the increased cost of hotels, etc but that's life. The same thing is happening in Ukraine/Poland right now. Business is business.

Regarding the cost, does anyone know what the net cost is factoring income from tourism, stadium sale, regeneration of east London, etc?

 

[stender]

Good News as far as I'm concerned! That's 550,000 less people trying to cram onto my train to and from work.

 

[scooter]

good:
Huge regeneration and construction jobs. Lasting sporting lagacy facilities for future athletes.

Estimated to bring in £1bn for business as they think an extra 4million tourists over the next 4yrs


bad:
Stated costs would be £2.4bn at time of bid. True cost £9.3bn

Will it bring in more tourism?
The European Tour Operators Association says there is "little evidence of any benefit to tourism of hosting an Olympic Games and considerable evidence of damage."

http://news.uk.msn.com/the-big-question/the-big-question-is-the-olympic-games-a-waste-of-money


I will watch the ladies beach volleyball but apart from that, there is not that much I am interested in.

I have a good feeling if it is also coupled with local bad weather, I could be in for a healthy 3 weeks of dvd rentals.






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[scooter]

This is a good read.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/apr/04/price-of-london-olympics






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