International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, Thomas Bach, International Paralympics Committee (IPC) President, Andrew Parsons, Tokyo 2020 President, Seiko Hashimoto, Tokyo Governor, Yuriko Koike and Japan’s Olympic Minister, Tamayo Marukawa are in crucial meeting today to decide whether to allow foreign spectators to attend both events.
It could be recalled that Authorised Ticket Resellers (ATRs), the official agents appointed to sell packages to overseas fans for the Olympics and Paralympics, had earlier made a last-ditch plea to Tokyo 2020 not to ban international spectators from this year’s Games amid fears that it could put some of them out of business.
It has been widely reported that the Japanese Government has already decided that welcoming spectators from abroad is not possible, given public concern over the spread of the coronavirus and the emergence of more contagious variants in many countries.
“When we think of the need to provide arrangements to accept [overseas spectators] and also of people who have been preparing public transport and places to stay, a fast decision is expected from us,” Hashimoto said during a press conference in the Japanese capital today.
“Immigration [policy] is up to the Government, but in the end, it will be set based on discussion between the five parties and their approval.”
But ATRs, appointed by National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to sell tickets in their countries, from all around the world have written to Hashimoto and Bach to protest.
They have pleaded with them not to ban international spectators from the Olympics, due to take place between July 23 and August 8, with the Paralympics scheduled to follow between August 24 and September 5.
New Jersey-based Jet Set Sports (JSS), the ATR for eight countries, including Australia and the United States, is among the companies that have written to Hashimoto.
“That decision is unnecessary given the progress, and expected further improvements in the next several months, in the ability to safely host sporting events and other performances that are attended by the public despite the worldwide pandemic,” JSS co-chief executives Sead and Alan Dizdarevic wrote to Hashimoto and John Coates, chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission for Tokyo 2020.
“Your reported decision will unnecessarily deprive the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics of spectators from around the world who wish to safely support their national teams in person.
“Your reported decision will unnecessarily expose [Tokyo 2020], the IOC, National Olympic Committees and Authorised Ticket Resellers such as JSS to potential claims and liability to more than a million overseas ticketholders, as well as creating potential disputes between Olympic partners and sponsors.
“We urge you to reconsider this decision and take the available and accepted steps necessary to allow overseas spectators to attend the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
About 4.5 million tickets have been sold to Japanese residents, with another estimated one million sold abroad.
Before the postponement a year ago, Tokyo 2020 was planning to sell 7.8 million tickets.
Toshirō Mutō, chief executive of Tokyo 2020, has promised that ticket holders from abroad would receive refunds.
The biggest concern for many ATRs, though, is that most sell Olympic tickets as part of packages, including travel and hotel accommodation.
Currently, Tokyo 2020 is claiming that only 30 per cent of total hotel room nights can be released free of charge.
Some hotels are already indicating they have no intention of returning money paid in advance for Tokyo 2020 accommodation, while others are offering to make only partial refunds.
That could potentially expose some ATRs to millions of dollars in compensation claims that they fear could bankrupt them.
One ATR warned that a ban on international spectators will “create more litigation within Japan and elsewhere in the next 12 months than Japan has probably experienced in the last 12 years”.
“Though tickets issues are mainly being discussed, cancellation of packages is our biggest challenge in ensuring fair and equitable refunds, while being compensated for the work and damages we
have occurred,” Yoav Bruck, the President of ISSTA Sport, the ATR for Israel and Spain, wrote to Bach.
Greek IOC member Spyros Capralos last week urged Tokyo 2020 to provide clear policies on refunding tickets should overseas spectators be prevented from attending the Olympics.