| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 22/05/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 37 |
| Copyright: Other |
KNTO makes pledge on sale of tickets for World Cup 2002
Korea has pledged that 70% of tickets for the football World Cup 2002, which the country is hosting jointly with Japan, will be on sale to overseas fans.Speaking at a travel trade seminar in London, Korea National Tourism Organisation vice-president Jong Hee Kim said there would be no shortage of tickets for UK fans. He added that out of a crowd of 70,000 at any of the matches, as many as 50,000 spectators will be from outside Korea and Japan.
FIFA, the World Cup governing body, is expected to announce detailed ticketing arrangements for the championships by September. The KNTO said UK visitor numbers are on the increase and it is expecting a rise from 54,000 arrivals last year to 60,000 this year. It is hoping that the increased interest will prompt British Airways into relaunching direct flights between Heathrow and Seoul.
BA stopped the service during the economic downturn in southeast Asia in the late 1990s. This left Korean Air as the only carrier offering direct flights to the region from the UK.