Domestic ticketholders can apply for refunds in November: Tokyo organisers

Japan-based ticketholders for the postponed Tokyo Olympics will be able to apply for refunds from November 10, Games organisers said on Friday.

Since deciding to postpone the Games until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, organisers have said ticketholders could apply for refunds if they no longer wanted to attend.

Organisers said on Friday they would accept refund requests for Olympics tickets from those residing in Japan from Nov. 10-30 and for Paralympic ticketholders from Dec. 1-21.

Organisers have sold over five million tickets for the Olympics and Paralympics domestically, but have yet to decide whether spectators would be allowed into venues when the Games start on July 23 next year.

A decision is expected by the end of this year.

"If we are not able to provide an opportunity to spectate the Games due to the COVID-19 situation, then we will offer an additional opportunity to apply for a refund," Tokyo 2020's marketing director Hidenori Suzuki told reporters.

Those living outside Japan had to originally purchase their tickets from Authorised Ticket Resellers (ATRs) and each ATR would be individually responsible for their own refund procedures, according to Tokyo 2020.

The latest version of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee budget, released in December 2019, saw $800 million coming in from ticket sales. On the impact potential refunds would have, organisers said no details would be released until the end of the year budget announcement.

The International Olympic Committee has already said the delay will cost them approximately $800 million, while Japanese organisers have yet to announce what their share will be.