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International Paralympic Committee (IPC) president Andrew Parsons is expecting to see sell-out crowds during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, despite a slow uptake on tickets.
Fewer than one million tickets out of a total 2.8 million have been sold so far for the event, which is set to take place in the French capital from August 28 to September 8. Parsons insisted this was “normal” this long before a Paralympic Games.
Speaking with six months to go until the Games, Parsons said his priority was to ensure the competition attracts maximum audiences.
“We are working with the organising committee to make sure that we have full stadiums in Paris,” the Brazilian official told AFP.
“We have some sports that are nearly sold out. We are satisfied where we are, but of course we need to push for more.
“We are very pleased with the preparation so far. We’re in this moment where all the operational plans are ready.
“We have learned from the test events, and we are now in the moment where what we need to focus on is the fine-tuning of some of the operations. We are all focused on the promotion of the Games.”
Parsons says that the IPC is trying a variety of different campaigns to drum up interest for the Games such as initiatives on social media, traditional media, and enlisting National Paralympic Committees to “(make) people raise the excitement around the Games… (and be) aware, informed, wanting to buy tickets and watch it on TV”.
Previous editions of the Paralympics have seen ticket sales increase closer to the event, in contrast to the Olympics.
This year’s Olympic Games, scheduled for July 26 to August 11, has already seen 7.6 million tickets sold. This is without any tickets on offer yet for athletics, one of the most popular sports.
Fans will be able to purchase tickets for the athletics competitions on March 4 at 10am in the latest round of sales.
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