The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Planica started on February 22. From the very beginning, the event has attracted quite little interest, which may be surprising because in the past it was full of fans. This may be due to several factors, such as high ticket prices, poor promotion or the growing number of coronavirus infections.
Franci Petek commented on the attendance at the World Cup in Planica. “Everywhere was the same”
In an interview with the Slovenian portal Zurnal24, the situation in the stands in Planica was commented on by Franci Petek, the Slovenian world champion in 1991 (in the colors of Yugoslavia), and currently the sports director of the Slovenian Ski Association. – My feelings are positive. I am proud that we managed to take all these steps so that the World Cup can be held here. It was only the fourth time that our candidacy was successful. Now that it’s bustling with life and there are competitions, it’s special. I am very happy and proud of everyone who is responsible for making things go in this direction,” he said.
Petek was asked for his opinion on the low attendance and high ticket prices. In his opinion, the organizers tried to attract as many fans to the stands as possible. – I do not want to comment on it, because I have not worked on it myself, but it is certainly difficult to predict what the reaction of the fans will be. I believe that the Slovenian Ski Association is doing its best with different package options, day tickets, half-day passes. Efforts were made to attract young people. It is certainly not an easy task to find the right price, he assessed.
The former world champion emphasized that the lack of interest may be due to the fact that local fans prefer to watch a different, more spectacular rivalry. – For Slovenian fans, Planica means March flights. The World Cup in this format is not close to them. Unfortunately, they do not realize that such competitions have not been held with us yet and probably will not be repeated too soon. Regardless of the number of people visiting the facility, this competition reaches as many people as no other event in Slovenia. It can reach up to a billion people through various channels, he added.
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Many foreigners who came to Planica declare that they mainly watch competitions on cross-country trails. According to Petek, there is nothing surprising in this, as it was similar in previous years. – The proportion of what viewers come to watch is the same, regardless of where the championships are held. Everywhere I was as a player, spectator or activist, it was the same. We Slovenes focus on jumping and we believe that this competition attracts fans – he explained.
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Planica will run until Saturday, March 4.
