Ticket sales for the World Games 2009 Kaohsiung have increased sharply thanks to exciting events and a warm response from the public, Kaohsiung Organizing Committee (KOC) board director Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳) said yesterday.
“Sales of tickets for the games have markedly improved since the July 16 opening and people are waiting in long lines to get them,” she told a news conference.
More than 700,000 people have visited an exhibition hall of the Games at Jungkuang Wharf, she said, thanking the public for their support of the Games and urging people to watch the competitions on TV if they can’t get tickets.
“Tickets for 12 events are already sold out,” she said.
Liu also thanked the 5,000 people who are working as volunteers for the Games, saying they were a major part of the event’s success.
Kaohsiung City will benefit from the Games in terms of long-term business opportunities because of the outstanding facilities that were built, such as the Main Stadium and the Kaohsiung Arena, both of which have been dubbed “wonders of Kaohsiung,” Liu said.
A total of NT$13 billion (US$394 million) was spent on building facilities for the Games, with about NT$10 billion going to the Main Stadium and the Kaohsiung Arena.
About NT$1.8 billion was used for sponsorship, while the remaining NT$1.2 billion has been earmarked for the maintenance of the buildings and facilities, she said.
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