First Games ticket goes on sale in 2007

The first ticket for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is expected to be sold in the first half of 2007, announced a senior Chinese official.

"We are preparing to launch the booking system of the tickets for the Games," said Liu Jingmin, vice-mayor of Beijing and executive vice-president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), during an interview with the Beijing Public Service Radio on Thursday.

People can buy a ticket for the opening ceremony or sports venues in the first half of 2007, Liu added.

"The sales of tickets for overseas spectators will be organized by the Olympic commissions of the 202 countries and regions," he said.

"Ticket prices will be regulated on the basis of a scientific assessment to allow more common citizens to have a chance to watch the Games."

According to the vice-president of the organizing committee, the preparatory work for the Beijing Olympic Games is in high gear and making smooth progress.

Thousands of people are joining their efforts to prepare an excellent opening ceremony for the Games, Liu said.

He spoke highly of the design and performance of the opening ceremony of the 2004 Athens Games, saying it displayed a combination of Athens culture and the Olympic history.

"But it doesn't mean the Athens Games is an insurmountable mountain for us," Liu said. "You can wait and see."

The three Olympic concepts namely "Green Olympics, People's Olympics, and High-Tech Olympics" are not only essential to the 2008 Olympics, but also the fundamental direction of Beijing's development, Liu said, referring to the Olympics' benefits to the public.

Speaking of Olympic volunteers, Liu said that they serve as a great characteristic of the Olympics and that their smile is the "name card" of the host city.

According to Liu, approximately 100,000 volunteers will be recruited for the Games. BOCOG has already launched the Olympic Volunteers Programme and unveiled the volunteers' symbol.

With respect to the traffic, a headache for Beijing residents now, Liu said the local government is making great efforts to expand public transport to ease traffic jams by increasing transport vehicles, adopting new technologies and optimizing transportation lines.

When it comes to the protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Liu said the IPR protection stands as a fundamental measure to ensure the success of the Beijing Olympics.

The Olympic Sponsorship Programme supports the Olympic Games, while at the same time the sponsors are entitled to get rewards so that BOCOG will protect sponsor's rights, he said, adding that China is a country that keeps its word.

Source: China Daily