The world economy may be schussing down the fall line, but you would never know it from the price tags on lodging-and-ticket packages for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, which start at more than $3,000 for two nights.
What's a cost-conscious sports fan to do? Get creative, or wait it out. No one really knows how popular these Olympics will be and what the market will bear.
On the one hand, ticket demand is running about six times the rate for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, said Jean-Paul Modde, president of CoSport, the official U.S. vendor in Far Hills, N.J.
On the other hand, CoSport's hotel-ticket packages are still available, except for nearly sold-out opening ceremonies, Modde added.
In Vancouver, a company handling rentals of private homes and condos recently had logged fewer than 100 bookings for the Feb. 12-28, 2010, Games, said Blake MacKenzie, sales manager for EMR Vacation Rentals, www.emrvacationrentals.com.
"Because of the economic downturn, I think people are waiting closer to the date," he said.
Ready to strap on your skis for this one? You'll find links to lodging suppliers on www.2010destinationplanner.com. These have been vetted, to one degree or another, by tourism organizations and the Vancouver Organizing Committee, or VANOC, which oversees the Games.
A look at some choices:
Official packages: These are the only lodging options that come with event tickets, and only one company, CoSport, www.cosport.com, is authorized to sell them in the U.S. Buyers get access to tickets "that no one else can get," said Jacqui Murdoch, VANOC's vice president for services and accommodation.
Total prices for two people range from about $3,800 for two nights to $18,000 for five nights, Modde said.
Why so expensive?
For one thing, Modde said, ticket prices are higher than for the Beijing Games last summer. But official Olympics packages are always pricey, I've found, and with only one authorized vendor in each country, there's no competition.
Hotels: You may save by booking your hotel and event tickets separately. Although the ticket lottery has come and gone, Modde said he hopes to get more tickets to sell in the next few months.
The problem is that nearly two-thirds of the rooms in Vancouver and about 40% in Whistler, another venue, have been booked by VANOC for Olympics organizers, sponsors and CoSport packages. Many hoteliers are holding back remaining inventory for groups and loyal customers.
