Rio Organizers Concerned About Early Lack Of Ticket Sales For Olympic, Paralympic Games

Ticket sales for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio are "disappointing organizers," as only "about half of the 4.5 million Olympic tickets aimed at the domestic audience have been sold," according to Mauricio Savarese of the AP. Rio Organizing Committee Communications Dir Mario Andrada said sales are "a little slower than the usual -- also because of the (economic) crisis here." Savarese noted the numbers are "much worse for the Paralympics, with only 300,000 domestic tickets sold out of three million." Andrada: "We are a bit worried with the Paralympics. We have to educate." Savarese noted Brazil is "in the midst of a deep recession, which is touching all aspects of the Olympics, which open on Aug. 5." Because of that, organizers "are scaling back everywhere." Andrada said that organizers "will not build a 4,000-seat grandstand for the rowing and canoeing venue." Organizers also have "reduced the number of unpaid volunteers from 70,000 to 50,000" (AP, 1/19).