"Beijing promises not to set a double standard for Games ticket
prices", Beijing vice mayor Liu Jingmin said on an Olympic
themed-program yesterday that aired on Beijing Television.
"If Chinese and Westerners are charged different prices, it will
not honor the Olympic spirit."
After more than one year of research, including an online
survey, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX
Olympiad (BOCOG), instituted the final ticket prices based on how
much people can pay, said Liu, who is also the vice executive
president of BOCOG.
Liu further explained the conclusion drawn from in-depth
research on both urban and rural consumption levels was to adopt
the relatively low ticket price system during the Beijing
Games.
"The amount of the 2008 competition fares less than 100 yuan
(US$12.5) accounts for the 58 percent of the total," Liu said,"
compared to the tickets fee of Athens and Sydney Olympic Games,
2008 fares could be cheaper.
When asked if westerners with higher incomes would be charged
more, Liu said "that's absolutely forbidden, it goes against the
Olympic spirit of justice, equality and openness to all."
(China Daily February 16, 2007)