Organizers of the 2018 Olympics are frightened by the decline in the number of Russians
The organizers of the Olympic Games in South Korea were shocked by the IOC decision to ban the Russian team from participating in the competition. They fear that the tourist flow to the country during the Olympics may fall.
On December 5, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended its membership in the organization of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), and refused to participate in the upcoming 2018 Olympics.
“The loss of Russian fans could be a big blow to the Winter Olympics, which typically attract fewer participants than the summer Olympics,” CNN reported. According to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), the country welcomed some 18,000 travelers from Russia in October, more than any other non-Asian country excluding the United States.
Ticket sales at the upcoming Olympics are affected by the difficult situation on the Korean Peninsula in general, so demand for tickets for sports competitions is still low. This situation is complicated by the absence of Russian sports fans.
Experts of the Russian Union of Travel Industry said that Russians are almost not interested in tours for the upcoming Olympics.