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Ticket demand sees European Games host reassess strategy

The organising committee for the 2019 European Games has said it has sold 20,350 tickets so far during the first phase of the ticketing programme for the multi-sport event in Minsk, Belarus, adding that it is considering amending plans for competitions that are oversubscribed.

The second edition of the Games will take place from June 21-30. Ticket sales commenced on December 1 after the Belarusian government approved guidelines for the sale and distribution of tickets in October.

Ticketpro, the ticketing operator for the Games, is authorised to sell tickets along with travel companies providing tourism services and tickets as one package.

Speaking at a press conference, Minsk 2019’s head of marketing, commercial issues and advertising, Maxim Koshkalda, said that as of the end of January, 20,350 of the event’s 381,000 tickets had been sold to fans from 28 different countries.

He added: “The most popular sports for which tickets are sold are athletics, rhythmic gymnastics, acrobatic gymnastics, beach soccer and karate. The most active ticket buyers are residents of Belarus. Next on this list are citizens of Russia, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania and Poland.”

Approximately 10% of tickets are currently available for the Games. A second phase is set to commence next month when unsold tickets reserved for commercial partners, National Olympic Committees, official resellers, tour operators and agents, as well as other client groups, will be released. A third phase will open in May, when tickets remaining after final approval of broadcast positions in event venues will be made available.

Koshkalda said local organisers could yet decide to increase the total number of tickets for the Games to 535,000. He stated that at this time, there are a number of sports venues where the capacity of the stands cannot accommodate the demand for tickets.

Minsk 2019 is therefore developing new ticket types, with a new package already introduced for the Games’ two shooting disciplines that will allow fans to attend sessions in specially allocated standing areas.

Koshkalda said similar tickets are set to be made available for road cycling competitions, while demand for gymnastics, judo and karate tickets means that the top tiers of the Minsk Arena and Chizhovka Arena are set to be opened to fans.