Two Million Fans Await Mexico ’86
Mexico expects at least 2 million visitors for next year’s World Cup soccer tournament, but there will be no hotel price gouging, organizers of the event Tuesday promised travel agents from around the world.
Ramon Alatorre, news director of the World Cup organizing committee, said at the 10th annual Tourism Tianguis in Acapulco, a sort of tourist supermarket attended by more then 3,000 travel agents, that prices announced and authorized by the Mexican Tourism Ministry in December of this year will remain in effect until after the World Cup ends in June, 1986.
“There will be no surprises when it comes time to pay the bill,” Alatorre said. “The Tourism Ministry has given us that guarantee.”
Half of the higher-priced tickets for the 52 games, ranging from $20 to $50 per seat, have gone on sale abroad through international travel agencies, which will offer packages of tickets along with air fare and hotels a full year in advance of the kickoff.
“Those travel agencies are already receiving thousands of applications, and Mexico is waiting with open arms for all soccer lovers,” Alatorre said.
But Alatorre added that the 1986 World Cup in Mexico is different from the 1982 version of the event in Spain, where a travel agency sold tickets only in conjunction with hotel reservations, triggering complaints that people were forced to buy tickets for hotels that they did not want.
This time, Alatorre said, anyone can buy tickets independently from hotel reservations, and no one has to buy a package from anyone.
“Any visitor who comes to work or just to enjoy the action will be sure that the hotel rates that will de announced in December of this year will be respected until June 31, 1986.”
HA also said it will be easy to travel from site to site as teams move through the draw from one to another of the 12 stadiums around Mexico, as the country’s two national airlines, Aeromex and Mexicana, have promised to adjust their schedules to the calender of games.
Alatorre also noted that for the first time in the history of the World Cup, all television transmission will go via satellite through Mexico’s two domestic satellites being launched this year.
