Pan Am Ticket Sales Off to Sluggish Start

(ATR) Organizers of the Pan Am Games say spectator procrastination is leading to fewer ticket sales than expected.

With 42 days left until the games, less than 30 percent of the tickets have been sold. Although this number is low, organizers say they have reached nearly 40 percent of the desired ticket revenue.

Chief of the Pan Ams organizing committee Saad Rafi says this is due to spectators buying tickets to the higher-profile and higher-priced events such as the opening and closing ceremonies and gold medal events.

Saad Rafi believes that the lower-priced ticket sales will begin to increase once the torch relay begins its 41-day journey throughout Canada on Saturday, May 30.

"Our own surveying has told us that, of the people who have [said] they would buy tickets, they said it would be in the month before the games," Rafi said.

The Toronto 2015 chair went on to add that selling the remaining million tickets would be a "tall order," one that would require every venue to sell out during the games. Mr. Rafi says he is not concerned by how many tickets may remain unsold after the games finish.

Hotel owners are also noticing the effects of slower than expected ticket sales. According to owners in the Toronto area, hotel bookings for July are falling below expectations.

Manager of the Royal Oak Inn in Toronto Sam Musstaq says his hotel is currently booked at 40 percent occupancy for the time during the games. Last July, Musstaq says the hotel was booked at 98 percent occupancy.

The head of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association Terry Mundell echoed the thoughts of Saad Rafi. Mundell also attributes the lack of bookings to procrastination by visitors, expecting the reservations to increase as the games get closer.

"Part of it is the way tickets come out - what games are on, where they are, who's playing. Then they decide to book their hotel after that," said Mundell.

Generating interest in the Pan American Games has been a constant challenge for event organizers since being awarded the games in 2009. With the games now fast approaching, Toronto 2015 is ramping up their marketing efforts.

Toronto 2015 released the official song of the Pan Ams on Thursday. The song "Together We Are One" is performed by Serena Ryder and was chosen out of 70 submissions to the organizing committee.

"The official song is but one example where we’re elevating the games from a sporting event to a celebration of the cultures of Toronto and the Americas. In five or 10 years, when fans think about the Games, it will be ‘Together We Are One’ they’re hearing in their head," Toronto 2015 chief Saad Rafi said.

Toronto 2015 has also partnered with the Canadian Olympic Committee to create advertisements centered on Canadian athletes telling their stories. The campaign is called #NowOrNever and event organizers hope it will generate more excitement for the upcoming games.

Event organizers plan on the greatest excitement for the games coming when the torch relay begins on Saturday. The flame will arrive at Canada Square along the Toronto waterfront around 2:30 PM on Saturday. The torch will travel through Toronto accompanied by artistic performances and a community celebration.

Written by Kevin Nutley

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