Chinese Authorities Again Struggle to Meet Ticket Demand
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Ticket Demand For Beijing Olympics In
China Continues To Cause Problems |
Chinese authorities “struggled to meet high demand for tickets to the Beijing Games as a third round of domestic sales began Monday,” according to Loretta Chao of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. People lined up at Bank of China branches around the country for a chance to buy some of the 1.38 million tickets available in the latest round of sales, and “many others tried buying tickets directly through their computers.” Some reported having “difficulties navigating the Web site and completing their purchases, but China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said 60,000 tickets were sold online and through the bank within the first few hours.” The ticket-sale Web site was “still running by the end of the workday Monday, unlike the second round of sales when the ticketing system crashed.” However, ticket buyers indicated that demand “made the process slow and cumbersome.” Organizers said that a total of 6.8 million tickets would be available across the 37 competition venues. According to the Beijing 2008 Web site, tickets ranged from US$4.29-143.10. Notices at Bank of China branches said that tickets to track and field, beach volleyball, volleyball and basketball were sold out. BOCOG indicated that there will be a “fourth and final round of sales for China residents in July” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 5/6). Of the tickets being sold for the Games “about 40[%]” of them will be sold in China. The ticketing services are a joint venutre between Ticketmaster and two Chinese firms (BANGKOK POST, 5/6).
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