TOKYO – Spectators abroad will be excluded from the Tokyo Olympics when they open in four months, the CIO and local organizers said on Saturday.
The decision was announced after an online meeting of the International Olympic Committee, the Japanese government, the Tokyo government, the International Paralympic Committee and local organizers.
The move was expected and rumored for several months. Officials said the risk was too high to admit foreign ticket holders during a pandemic, an idea strongly opposed by the Japanese public. Japan attributed approximately 8,800 COVID-19 deaths and controlled the virus better than most countries.
“In order to provide clarity to ticket holders living abroad and to allow them to adapt their travel plans at this stage, the Japanese side have concluded that they will not be able to enter Japan at the time of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.” said the organizing committee in Tokyo in a statement.
About 1 million tickets have been sold to fans outside of Japan. The organizers have promised refunds, but this will be determined by the so-called authorized ticket resellers who manage sales outside of Japan. These dealers charge taxes up to 20% above the ticket price. It is unclear whether the fees will be reimbursed.
“We could wait until the last minute to decide, except for the spectators,” said Seiko Hashimoto, chairman of the organizing committee. “They have to provide accommodation and flights. So, we have to decide early, otherwise we will cause a lot of inconvenience on their part. I know it’s a very difficult problem. ”
IOC President Thomas Bach called it a “difficult decision.”
“We need to make decisions that may require sacrifices from everyone,” he said.
The financial burden of lost ticket sales rests with Japan. The local organizing committee’s budget raised $ 800 million in ticket sales, the third largest source of revenue from the private funding budget. Any lack of budget will have to be compensated by Japanese government entities.
Overall, Japan officially spends $ 15.4 billion organizing the Olympics. Several government audits say the real cost may be twice as high. All but $ 6.7 billion are public money.
About 4.45 million tickets were sold to Japanese residents. Organizers are expected to announce capacity next month in places that will be occupied by local residents.
The ban on fans from abroad comes just days before the Olympic torch relay begins on Thursday in Fukushima prefecture in northeastern Japan. It will last 121 days, crossing Japan with 10,000 runners and will end on July 23 at the opening ceremony at the National Stadium in Tokyo.
The relay will be a test for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which will involve 15,400 athletes entering Japan. They will be tested before leaving home, tested on arrival in Japan and tested frequently while living in a safe “bubble” in the Athletes’ Village near Tokyo Bay.
Athletes will not be required to be vaccinated to enter Japan, but many will be.
In the middle of Saturday’s meeting, Bach and others were reminded of northeastern Japan, which is prone to earthquakes – and Japan in general.
A strong earthquake shook Tokyo and triggered a tsunami warning, while Bach and others made introductory remarks before the virtual meeting. The strong point was set at 7.0 by the US Geological Survey, and the location was in northeastern Japan, an area affected by a huge earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
“I think the screen is shaking. You noticed that the screen was shaking, “said Tamayo Marukawa, Japan’s Olympic minister, as he made his presentation in Tokyo talking from a distance with Bach visible on a Swiss screen. “We’re actually in the middle of an earthquake right now.”
Officials there said there were no immediate reports of damage.