Belarusians got only 20 tickets to Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing
ERB has found out that China has allocated only about 500 tickets to the Olympics to Belarus. Only 20 of them are tickets to the opening and closing ceremonies. However, according to “Belzneshtourist”, about 700 or 800 Belarusians will attend the Olympics. 200 or 300 of them will be members of the official Olympic delegation. The NOC promises that there will not be a single Minister in Beijing. In spite of the fact that they are heads of sports organizations. If a “simple” Belarusian decides to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympics, they will have to buy the so-called “diamond” tour for 13 thousand euro. The number of tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games is 20 for Belarus. They were immediately sold out. Only the “diamond” tour for 13 thousand euro is still available. The head of the department of internal and external tourism of “Belzneshtourist” Uladlen Sakalou told ERB about it.
Uladlen Sakalou: “If a Belarusian decides to attend the opening or closing ceremony of the Olympics they will have to purchase the diamond tour. There are usually “diamond”, “platinum” and “gold” tours available. The “gold” tour costs 8600 euro. It is for 10 days. It includes the cost of plane tickets, accommodation and visiting one competition a day including the opening or the closing ceremony. The next tour costs 11 thousand euro. It is the same plus business class plane tickets. And the last tour costs 13 thousand euro. It is the same plus an individual transfer and a personal guide”.
The most simple 10-days “gold” tour includes attending one competition a day, accommodation, flight and meals. It costs 4400 euro. However, it is a group tour and you start it in Moscow. The tourist will not be able to choose competitions – they have already been planned. The only thing that can be chosen is whether you go to the first or the second part of the Olympics.
However, a personal tour may be created for you.
Uladlen Sakalou: “If you want to visit something that you are interested in, if you want to live in some other hotel during some other term, you will have to book plane tickets, the hotel and tickets to competitions”.
But it is not possible to predict how much a personal tour will cost. Moreover, you may encounter problems booking plane tickets.
Uladlen Sakalou: “There are not many plane tickets to Beijing left. You will have to spend half an hour trying to find something that suits you at a reasonable price. It is because almost everything has been sold out in Austria and in “Aeroflot”. Only Chinese airlines may have something left”.
According to the employee of “Belzneshtourist”, about 700 or 800 Belarusians including 200 or 300 members of the official Olympic delegation will visit the Olympics in spite of the price of tours.
Uladlen Sakalou: “I think the majority of Belarusians will go to Beijing as members of official delegations. That’s about 200 or 300 people. A similar number of tourists will go on their own”.
The vice President of the National Olympic Committee Henadz Alyakseyenka confirmed that there will be several hundred people in the official delegation in his interview with ERB. However, a preliminary list of members will be drawn in May. But the representative of the NOC claimed that Ministers heading various sports organizations would not be taken to the Olympics.
Henadz Alyakseenka: “They are heads of federations and the official delegation cannot afford to take tourists with it”.
The official delegation will be composed of coaches and doctors only. There will also be representatives of the NOC. President Lukashenka is also going to visit Beijing.
The number of sportsmen who will go to the Olympics is still unknown.
Henadz Alyakseenka: “A so-called long list will be composed in April. The Executive Committee will approve it in May. It is necessary to remember that the selection in 10 kinds of sport is not over. It concerns Graeco-Roman wrestling, both academic and free-style, rowing, cycling, archery, tennis, swimming, etc.”
Ministers are not the only ones who are not included in the Olympic delegation. Our show-business will not support Belarusian sportsmen either. Even “the face of Belarus” Iryna Darafeeva has not been invited to give a concert in the Belarusian Olympic village.
Photo by atlettob1.narod.ru
Uladlen Sakalou: “If a Belarusian decides to attend the opening or closing ceremony of the Olympics they will have to purchase the diamond tour. There are usually “diamond”, “platinum” and “gold” tours available. The “gold” tour costs 8600 euro. It is for 10 days. It includes the cost of plane tickets, accommodation and visiting one competition a day including the opening or the closing ceremony. The next tour costs 11 thousand euro. It is the same plus business class plane tickets. And the last tour costs 13 thousand euro. It is the same plus an individual transfer and a personal guide”.
The most simple 10-days “gold” tour includes attending one competition a day, accommodation, flight and meals. It costs 4400 euro. However, it is a group tour and you start it in Moscow. The tourist will not be able to choose competitions – they have already been planned. The only thing that can be chosen is whether you go to the first or the second part of the Olympics.
However, a personal tour may be created for you.
Uladlen Sakalou: “If you want to visit something that you are interested in, if you want to live in some other hotel during some other term, you will have to book plane tickets, the hotel and tickets to competitions”.
But it is not possible to predict how much a personal tour will cost. Moreover, you may encounter problems booking plane tickets.
Uladlen Sakalou: “There are not many plane tickets to Beijing left. You will have to spend half an hour trying to find something that suits you at a reasonable price. It is because almost everything has been sold out in Austria and in “Aeroflot”. Only Chinese airlines may have something left”.
According to the employee of “Belzneshtourist”, about 700 or 800 Belarusians including 200 or 300 members of the official Olympic delegation will visit the Olympics in spite of the price of tours.
Uladlen Sakalou: “I think the majority of Belarusians will go to Beijing as members of official delegations. That’s about 200 or 300 people. A similar number of tourists will go on their own”.
The vice President of the National Olympic Committee Henadz Alyakseyenka confirmed that there will be several hundred people in the official delegation in his interview with ERB. However, a preliminary list of members will be drawn in May. But the representative of the NOC claimed that Ministers heading various sports organizations would not be taken to the Olympics.
Henadz Alyakseenka: “They are heads of federations and the official delegation cannot afford to take tourists with it”.
The official delegation will be composed of coaches and doctors only. There will also be representatives of the NOC. President Lukashenka is also going to visit Beijing.
The number of sportsmen who will go to the Olympics is still unknown.
Henadz Alyakseenka: “A so-called long list will be composed in April. The Executive Committee will approve it in May. It is necessary to remember that the selection in 10 kinds of sport is not over. It concerns Graeco-Roman wrestling, both academic and free-style, rowing, cycling, archery, tennis, swimming, etc.”
Ministers are not the only ones who are not included in the Olympic delegation. Our show-business will not support Belarusian sportsmen either. Even “the face of Belarus” Iryna Darafeeva has not been invited to give a concert in the Belarusian Olympic village.
Photo by atlettob1.narod.ru
