Rio 2016 ticket sales are lagging behind those of recent Olympics and demand for hotels and flights is showing some softness too, as the host city grapples with recession, a zika epidemic and worries about security days before the opening ceremonies.
About 79% of the 6.1 million tickets for the Rio games had been sold as of august 1, according to local organizers. That is well behind the final figures for the last two summer games in London and Beijing, both of which sold more than 95% of their seats. Still, Rio's percentage sales already have beaten those of a number of past summer Olympics, including Athens, Atlanta, Barcelona and Seoul, none of which cracked the 80% mark, according to figures compiled by the statistics portal statistic.
"I think it's an acceptable result," said David Wallechinsky, president of the International Society of Olympic Historians who has studied the games.
Wallechinsky pegged spectacular ticket sales in Beijing and London to unique factors, including China's massive population and England's wealth, its proximity to the rest of Europe and it is love for all types of sports.
Most Olympic tickets in any host country, typically around 75%, are sold to locals. In contrast, travel to Brazil requires a major investment of time and money for foreigners, while Brazilian fans are largely devoted to a single sport-soccer. Rio organizers are counting on last-minute demand from locals, as well as some regional and international buyers, to bolster ticket sales.
Total revenue stands at $304 million, about 95% of the target but some travel experts doubt whether Rio can make up much more ground.
"Whoever was coming from the outside already made up their mind, either to come or not," said Erich Beting, a director at São Paulo-based sporting consulting firm Máquina do Esporte.
"At this point it will be hard for Rio to beat London," she added.
