Organizers have confirmed that after several months of rumors, foreign spectators will not be allowed to attend the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
“To clarify for ticket holders living abroad, and to give them the opportunity to adjust their travel plans at this stage, the Japanese side concluded that they will not be able to enter Japan during the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” – said in. “This decision will further ensure safe and reliable competition for all participants in the Games and the Japanese public.”
The decision was announced in a virtual meeting with the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee and the Government of Japan.
Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, said the organization fully supports the decision, saying: “We must make decisions that will require sacrifices from all parties,” the Associated Press reported.
Organizing committees said tickets for games purchased outside of Japan would be returned. Information on refunds, including whether fees charged by authorized resellers will be included, will be announced shortly. Ticket holders are responsible for all costs incurred in booking hotels or flights.
According to the AP, before the games were postponed last year, Japan sold about 4.5 million tickets to Japanese and about 600,000 to foreigners. It is expected that next month the organizers will announce the capacity of each Olympic facility.
Volunteers from foreign countries (who traditionally help hold games in exchange for access) will not be allowed into Japan this summer, the AP confirmed on Monday. In total, more than 100,000 volunteers were planned to take part. It is not yet clear how many of them from Japan will be needed this year.
This year’s Olympics will look very different, with the opening ceremony being potentially much smaller than usual, and athletes in safe “bubbles.”
The Olympic torch relay under COVID-19-related precautions will begin in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan on Thursday. The Flame will travel through Japan for four months until it reaches the Games venue in Tokyo.
The opening of the Games is scheduled for July 23.