One million tickets have now been sold for Rugby World Cup 2011 following a surge in sales during the final phase of ticketing which opened to the general public on Monday.

“This has been a tremendous start to our final ticketing campaign and we are thrilled with the way fans in New Zealand and around the world have responded,” said Martin Snedden, chief executive for Tournament Organiser Rugby New Zealand 2011.

RNZ 2011 is forecasting total sales revenue of NZ$268.5m based on expected ticket sales of 1.35m from the 48 Tournament matches.

The sales in the final phase have boosted ticket revenue by NZ$17 million to NZ$220 million. This means RNZ 2011 has now reached 82 per cent of its revenue target.

Over the last six weeks fans have purchased 211,000 tickets with a value of NZ$51 million.

“This is a fantastic result and is about where we expected to be with little over two months until the Tournament kicks-off,” added Snedden.

Before RWC 2011, the highest revenue-generating event in New Zealand’s history was the 2005 British & Irish Lions Tour, which grossed NZ$24m.

“As of today, we have achieved nine times the ticket revenue for that event so that is very pleasing,” continued Snedden.

“Tickets are selling fast to many matches. 

“Some 85,000 fans from over 100 countries are already coming so we urge New Zealand fans to get in quickly to avoid being disappointed.

“There is already limited availability in some seat categories while some categories for certain matches are exhausted.”

Tickets can be purchased online here. 

“We expect ticket to continue to sell strongly from here as happened at Rugby World Cup in France in 2007 and Australia in 2003.

“Interest is clearly growing in the New Zealand Tournament and that is being helped by the RWC 2011 Roadshow which is touring throughout the country in July.

”We’ve had great turnouts from fans in Bluff, Invercargill and Queenstown so far and that bodes well for the rest of the month,” concluded Snedden.

WSDE Sport Tourism Expo

The Rugby World Cup is one of the highlights of the sports tourism industry, which will be celebrated later this year in Bangkok by WSDE Sports Tourism Expo.

WSDE Sport Tourism Expo is the only Conference, Exhibition and Meeting Place dedicated to the $600 billion a year Sport Tourism market - the most rapidly growing sector in travel and tourism.

Now in its 2nd year, 2011’s event will take place in Bangkok, Thailand - Asia’s Sport Tourism Gateway - from 27th - 29th September 2011.

Take a look at the website for more information.