In less than a year, the highly anticipated Tokyo Summer Olympics will kick off in Japan, and the world will be watching.  While the athletes are continuing to train, fans are making plans to witness these unique Games in person. 

When the world paused this year, the excitement for Tokyo 2020 never left.  Bookings decreased while the world waited on answers regarding the ongoing pandemic or to things more specifically related to the postponed games, but the overall interest of fans stayed strong and focused.   Now that we near the end of Summer and we begin the one-year countdown to the Summer Olympics, bookings and event interest are picking up.  The overall inventory is decreasing and the demand for travel packages and tickets is high. 

What does that mean for the hopeful Olympic attendees?  Well, that means that if you are not already booked and if you are considering attending, then you should plan soon.  There are many companies that offer travel packages with and without tickets, so depending on what you need to arrange, you have options when booking.  While you can book everything on your own, a more popular, and less stressful preference among most fans is to either book your experience through an Authorized Ticket Reseller (ATR) or a tour provider specializing in international sporting events.

Want to see which sports will make their debut in 2021?  Click here.

AUTHORIZED TICKET RESELLER

Every Olympics has an official organizing committee which is responsible for selling tickets to the events.  That is the only source for obtaining official tickets online for a currency-adjusted face value plus some service fees. However, you typically have to be a resident of the host country to have the opportunity to purchase directly from the organizing committee.  Instead, every country in the world designates a single company as their Authorized Ticket Reseller (ATR).  Each ATR offers tickets and travel packages exclusive to residents of that country.  In the United States, for example, the ATR is CoSport.  All ATRs adhere to strict guidelines about how much mark-up they can add to the face value of the tickets, which is usually capped about 20%.  ATRs make additional money by bundling the tickets with hotel packages, where there are no restrictions limiting their mark-ups.

For a list of Authorized Ticket Resellers, please click here. 

Pros & Cons: The good news is that when you arrive in the host country, you can often purchase tickets directly from a box office ticket window and pay the true face value price for tickets.  However, many of the higher demand events will already be sold-out and unavailable at the ticket window.  In order to buy tickets ahead of your travel, then you should start with your country’s ATR and see what they have available.  Check back often, as their inventory will fluctuate over time.  And finally, if you are looking for tickets that remain unavailable through your ATR, then ask our ticket concierge for assistance.  We can often track down hard to get tickets by checking in with the ATRs for other countries than the one in which you live.

TOUR OPERATORS THAT SPECIALIZE IN INTERNATIONAL SPORTING EVENTS

Tour operators tend to specialize in a specific destination or type of travel experience.  There are a handful of these tour operators around the world who specialize in travel experiences to sporting events including the Summer Olympics.  Companies like Bucket List Events have been taking guests to the Summer and Winter Olympics since 2004 continuing to make it possible for fans to experience one of the greatest sporting events in the world.  Regardless which tour operator you use, they are all usually known for offering guests the access they desire (which they may not receive otherwise) and a personalized attention to detail (giving the travelers a stress-free travel experience from beginning to end).  These tour operators tend to offer a full travel solution in the host city of the Olympics.

Pros & Cons:  Booking with a Tour Operator that specializes in international sporting events usually offers you a more flexible and overall, less expensive yet quality product.  Tour Operators tend to offer a thoroughly researched product with a personal touch that includes your hotel stay, access to special events, airport transfers, and cultural experiences in addition to your Summer Games experience.  While tour operators do not officially sell tickets, many will assist you with sourcing the tickets you want for a small fee (usually based on the market).  Normally there is no ticket they cannot find you.  When you make your arrangements through a tour operator, you also have the flexibility to book additional activities or tickets through other methods and combine those with a package offered by the tour operator.  While you may pay more for tickets this way, the overall cost for your travel experience tends to be less than an ATR because you are not forced into overpriced hospitality options or packages in order to lock in your tickets.

FINAL TIPS FROM THE EXPERT

Traveling overseas to the Olympics can be exciting and at times stressful for some.  Whether you are traveling with your family and kids or a few friends, there isn’t anything better than experiencing the excitement of rooting for your home country at the Olympics.

Regardless if you are an experienced traveler or if this is your first trip overseas, I would recommend purchasing a ground program through a tour operator.  Ideally, one that specializes in the Summer Games and who has been involved in previous Olympics.  They’ll have the experience necessary to operate a successful program internationally and for a large number of clients.  They’ll also have the relationships necessary to fulfill the requests you have regarding additional tickets and tours.  As mentioned above in this article, you tend to have a more personal, flexible, and customizable experience with a tour operator.  Ground programs usually enhance the experience while removing stress, by offering airport transfers, convenient hotels, special events, on-site assistance if needed, cultural tours and activities, and more. 

Regarding tickets, I would recommend that you first shop your ATR’s website.  Check to see what tickets they have available.  You’ll probably notice that there isn’t much availability, however it never hurts to check.  Sometimes they’ll release random tickets, so I’d recommend checking back often.  Depending what you find, I’d then reach out to your tour operator and discuss with them any additional Olympic ticket needs.  Most likely they’ll be able to find you several options based on their worldwide relationships which they have been building for years.  Once you can get your ground program squared away first, then you can continue to find a few tickets on the ATR website and source a few others through your tour operator.  Before you know it, you’ll be completely set for a great experience.  

Follow this checklist when planning your Olympic experience.

WANT TO ATTEND THE GAMES?

Do you want to witness history and attend the Tokyo Olympics during the Summer of 2021?  Maybe the answer is an easy YES!  Or maybe it sounds interesting and it’s on your Bucket List but you don’t know where to start the planning process.  Well, either way, companies like Bucket List Events specialize in travel packages designed to give fans an overall amazing and stress-free Olympic experience.  From start to finish you’ll work with a team of individuals who have been entertaining guests at large sporting events and festivals around the world since the early 2000s.  In Tokyo, you’ll have a variety of hotel packages to choose from including things such as airport meet and greets, roundtrip airport transfers, daily hospitality (including food and drinks), exclusive parties and events, Tokyo excursions, and much more.   When you leave Japan, you’re guaranteed to have experienced both Tokyo and the Summer Games…something you’ll never forget.  Don’t wait any longer and check out Bucket List Events at www.mybucketlistevents.com for more information about how you can plan your perfect Olympic experience.